Being connected: an exploration of women’s weight loss experience and the implications for health education

The focus of this thesis is the experience of intentional weight loss. There is a<br/>growing recognition that the rising levels of obesity are contributing to a global health<br/>problem. Although the costs and consequences of obesity for both individuals and<br/>societies are many; research in the field of obesity has so far failed to offer successful<br/>solutions to these problems. This thesis argues that the reason for this failure is that<br/>research has focused primarily on finding the causes of obesity and has ignored to a<br/>large extent the experiences of obesity and intentional weight loss. Furthermore, what<br/>little qualitative research that has been conducted into obesity and intentional weight<br/>loss tends to be short term and fails to follow participants for extended periods of<br/>time.<br/><br/>In order to address the perceived gaps in knowledge, this thesis adopts a qualitative<br/>approach, informed by phenomenology, to explore the experience of intentional<br/>weight loss. This thesis intends to explore the following research questions:<br/><br/>• What feelings or beliefs motivate individuals to start trying to lose weight and to<br/>continue trying to lose weight?<br/>• What strategies do individuals employ to try to lose weight and what decisions,<br/>feelings or beliefs underpin or influence these strategies?<br/>• What factors help or hinder individuals in their attempts to lose weight?<br/><br/>Ten overweight or obese women in the South of England were interviewed four<br/>times over the period of a year about their experiences of trying to lose weight. Semi<br/>structured interviews were used to explore weight loss goals and strategies; feelings<br/>and beliefs about losing weight and factors that help and hinder weight loss. The<br/>interview transcripts were analysed using Hycner’s (1985) framework and an<br/>overarching theme of connectedness was identified linked to four key themes of self sabotage,<br/>internal conflict, control and choice.<br/><br/>The results reveal wide variations across the ten participants in their motivations for<br/>losing weight, many of which are different to the reasons that health educators give<br/>for losing weight. The strategies that participants used to lose weight seemed to have<br/>less influence on weight loss than participants’ beliefs regarding their chosen strategy<br/>and in their own ability. The majority of participants experienced a weight loss<br/>relapse. Explanations for these results are sought using two theories of mindfulness<br/>and intuitive eating. Implications for weight loss focused health education are<br/>considered and recommendations are made both for future health education practice<br/>and future research.

Name dc:type.qualificationname

Ph.D.

Level dc:type.qualificationlevel

doctoral

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

University of Southampton

Year dc:date.issued

2010

Author dc:creator

• Burdett, Teresa Marion

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Seale, Jane