What is it like to live with obesity in Peninsular Malaysia? A qualitative study

Understanding the experience of people living with obesity is crucial for delivering holistic care relevant to the socio-cultural context. Although half of the Malaysian adults have excessive weight, the lived experience of people with obesity in the Malaysian context is not well studied. Using the principles of hermeneutic phenomenology, this study explores the lived experience of adults with obesity in Malaysia and their perspective on the environmental influences on obesity. Participants were adults from Peninsular Malaysia living with obesity recruited from social media, clinics and snowball sampling. Twenty-five teleconference interviews in Malay were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data were analysed inductively using a reflexive thematic analysis approach, and quotes were translated into English. We identified five themes: (1) Malaysian life is centred around food; (2) social norms shape people living with obesity's perceptions of themselves and obesity; (3) people living with obesity are physically restricted by their body; (4) people living with obesity have repeated thoughts about efforts to lose weight; and (5) stigmatization of people living with obesity leads to negative emotions. Socio-cultural influences were highly impactful on participants' lifeworld, and these influences need to be considered in clinical practice and policy for obesity management in Malaysia. Clinical management should focus on assisting patients in navigating the unsupportive food and social environment instead of overfocusing on the individual's responsibility for weight reduction.