Characterizing obesity: A qualitative study

The prevalence of obesity among US adults has risen over the past several decades. In addition to bariatric surgery and behavioral weight management, several effective anti-obesity medications have emerged in the last ten years and become increasingly available. The goal of this qualitative study is to explore the perspectives of people with obesity (PwO), health professionals (HPs), and payors on obesity management and treatments.

This was a 3-group interview study using a qualitative description approach with a target sample size of 40 PwO, 30 HPs who provide care to PwO (10 primary care providers; 10 providers specializing in obesity medicine; and 10 nurse practitioners, physician assistants, or dieticians/nutritionists), and 10 payors. PwO were eligible if they had a Body Mass Index (BMI) ≥30 kg/m² using self-reported height and weight and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) BMI calculator and were recruited via an online research registry. Health professionals and payors were recruited via direct contact from the research team and sponsor's professional networks in the United States.

A total of 38 PwO, 30 HPs, and 6 payors were interviewed, with PwO interviews occurring from October 2023 to March 2024 and HP/payor interviews occurring from November 2023 to May 2024. The majority of participants in each group accepted the idea of obesity as a chronic disease and that discussing obesity and weight management was important in medical contexts; however, they also acknowledged that stigma around obesity negatively impacted PwO health and health care. All participants described a treatment landscape beginning with lifestyle interventions followed by pharmaceutical or surgical treatment options.

This qualitative study of people with obesity, health professionals, and payors demonstrated current views of addressing and treating obesity in clinical settings. These findings could spur person-centered, less stigmatizing methods to craft plans for weight management.