"FAT” BODIES AND LOW-INCOME: EXPERIENCES AND PERCEPTIONS OF MOTHERS FROM SANTOS, BRAZIL
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12957/demetra.2016.22492Keywords:
body image, obesity, low-income, mothers, womenAbstract
The present study aimed to investigate body image among over-weight, low-income women, using their stories and life experiences to explore, describe and understand how they interpreted their body image and their weight gain process. We performed exploratory qualitative research using in-depth interviews with21 low-income women living in three different urban areas. Through content analysis we identified five aspects of the participants’ body image: identity, body experiences, causes of weight gain, ways to lose weight, and body changes. The participants described their bodies in several different ways, such as fat, chubby and strong instead of clinical classifications. Most participants presented a “fat identity”, which was mainly based in concrete, functional aspects of the body, rather than an aesthetic image. Difficulties in losing weight through nutritional guidance and feeling discriminated by health professionals were important barriers to engaging with the nutritionist. Our findings underscore the necessity for culturally appropriate weight-loss interventions in low-income female populations.
DOI: 10.12957/demetra.2016.22492
Downloads
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP RESPONSIBILITY
Title of the manuscript:
________________________________________________________
1. Statement of responsability
I certify that I have participated in the work above specified and take public responsibility for its content.
I certify that the manuscript represents an original work and that none of the material in the manuscript has been previously published, is included in another manuscript, or is currently under consideration for publication elsewhere, whether in printed form or in electronic media, except that described in the attachment.
In case of acceptance of this text by Demetra: Alimentação, Nutrição & Saude, I declare to be in accordance with the policy of public access and copyright adopted by Demetra, which provides as follows: (a) the authors retain the copyright and grant to the Journal the right of first publication, the work being simultaneously licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which allows the sharing of the work with acknowledgment of authorship and initial publication in this journal; (b) authors are authorized to enter additional contracts separately for non-exclusive distribution of the version of the work published in this journal (eg, publishing in institutional repository or book chapter), with acknowledgment of authorship and initial publication in this journal; and (c) authors are permitted and encouraged to post and distribute their work online (eg, in institutional repositories or on their personal page) at any point before or during the editorial process, as this may lead to productive changes, as well as increase the impact and citation of the published work.
2. Conflict of Interest Statement
I certify that there is no conflict of interest in connection with the submitted article.
Date, signature and full address of all authors.
