Flint, Stuart W;
Vazquez-Velazquez, Veronica;
Le Brocq, Sarah;
Brown, Adrian;
(2025)
The real-life experiences of people living with overweight and obesity: A psychosocial perspective.
Diabetes, Obesity & Metabolism
10.1111/dom.16255.
(In press).
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Abstract
Understanding the lived experience of obesity, just like any other chronic outcome, is essential to addressing deep routed inequalities and stigma associated with obesity, as well as creating more inclusive and effective policies and healthcare. The psychosocial aspects of obesity are vast and as such the lived experience of obesity differs between individuals and groups. However, there are consistent psychosocial issues identified within empirical studies as well as lived experience accounts that require consideration and potential adaption in the design and delivery of care including weight management and obesity services. Improving perceptions and understanding of the lived experience can also foster empathy which appears to be lacking based on research examining everyday encounters, media portrayal of people living with obesity, and in healthcare settings. Stigma and discrimination are consistent and, in some instances, occur daily in many societal settings leading to mental and physical health concerns, social disengagement and dysfunctional relationships with significant others, as well as avoidance of health promoting activities and settings. Using a narrative review approach, our aim was to examine the empirical evidence generated in countries across the world, reporting on the real-life experiences of people living with obesity. Our search strategy was informed by existing empirical evidence of the psychosocial aspects of obesity and an in-depth interview exploring the lived experience of obesity specifically conducted to inform this article. In doing so, we highlight key psychosocial aspects and provide a voice for a personal account of the challenges experienced in child and adulthood. Recommendations are offered for stakeholders including policymakers and practitioners that aim to address these real-life challenges experienced by people living with obesity.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | The real-life experiences of people living with overweight and obesity: A psychosocial perspective |
| Location: | England |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1111/dom.16255 |
| Publisher version: | https://doi.org/10.1111/dom.16255 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | © 2025 The Author(s). Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made. |
| Keywords: | Science & Technology, Life Sciences & Biomedicine, Endocrinology & Metabolism, attitudes, barriers, lived experience, psychosocial, weight management, WEIGHT-BASED VICTIMIZATION, HEALTH OUTCOMES, CHILDREN, STIGMA, DISCRIMINATION, GAIN, BIAS, CARE, PERCEPTIONS, ATTITUDES |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Medical Sciences |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10206624 |
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