Psychosocial Experiences and Coping Strategies of Young Women with Obesity
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The current study aimed to explore the psychosocial experiences and challenges faced by young women with obesity and the type of coping strategies they use. Weight-based stigmatization is prevalent in Pakistan (Memon et al., 2019) and about 50% of the population is obese in Pakistan (Tanveer et al., 2022). In the age of technology and media, the prevalence of idealized body images has caused to internalize media representations and people’s views about obese women which are quite negative and they consider such women as incapable of doing anything (Kite et al., 2022). The study employed a qualitative research method. Semi-structured interviews were conducted using a sample of six young obese women. Interviews were analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis which provides an in-depth and comprehensive viewpoint. A total of 33 sub-themes were extracted and five superordinate themes emerged from them. These themes include loss (self/social); psychological consequences (negative thoughts/negative emotions); concerns (physical/future); interpersonal challenges (family/ friends/ strangers), and coping strategies (adaptive/ maladaptive). The current study indicates that young women with obesity in Pakistan have various negative psychosocial experiences. The study highlights the need to introduce strategies focusing on enhancing adaptive coping among individuals experiencing stigma such as obese individuals. Additionally, it encourages community-based programs to provide awareness of and management solution for obesity to ensure well-being among these individuals.
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