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"I thought I was normal" children's understanding of overweight and obesity: a qualitative study in chile

Cecilia Prieto Bravo1, Nicola Boydell2, Linda Bauld1

  • 1Centre for Population Health Sciences, Usher Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland.

International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-Being
|July 22, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Children understand health and weight using social and emotional cues, not just medical terms. Healthcare should focus on non-stigmatizing communication and children

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric health
  • Child psychology
  • Public health

Background:

  • Childhood overweight and obesity present a significant global and national health challenge.
  • Current healthcare approaches often overlook children's perspectives on health, growth, and weight.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore how children diagnosed with overweight or obesity perceive health, growth, and weight within healthcare settings.
  • To understand children's lived experiences and interpretations of weight-related health information.

Main Methods:

  • Semi-structured online interviews with 18 children (aged 10-12) in Chilean primary care clinics.
  • Utilized visual tools like body silhouettes and body mapping during interviews.
  • Employed reflexive thematic analysis for data interpretation.

Main Results:

  • Identified themes: children's use of everyday language for body labels, the impact of body shape perceptions and shame, and how medical measurements are interpreted.
  • Children actively interpret weight messages using emotional, social, and cultural contexts, not solely biomedical information.
  • Clinical interactions can increase body consciousness and stigma.

Conclusions:

  • Healthcare providers should prioritize non-stigmatizing communication when discussing weight with children.
  • Valuing children's perspectives is crucial for effective health interventions.
  • Approaches supporting children's wellbeing during development and identity formation are essential.
Abstract

Keywords:
Childrenobesityoverweightprimary healthcarequalitative research

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