perspectives on obesity

perspectives on obesity

by Samuel Dafydd Rigby -
Number of replies: 5

Obesity has reached epidemic levels within the UK and the implications are many. Recently Shoneye et al. researched the difference in ‘attitudes to weight and weight control’ between black and white British women in the UK. They discovered that obesity is much more acceptable amongst black women than white women, even though education w.r.t. nutrition was determined to be effectively the same. This is one explanation for higher rates of obesity amongst black women in the UK. 1

As the south-east Asian population also has high rates of obesity (and diabetes, a disease closely related to obesity) I would like to establish the attitudes of south-east Asian women towards obesity, with the aim that it may provide solutions with regards to how to tackle this trend in disease. Hopefully this will also act as a useful addition to Shoneye et al’s research in way of furthering our understanding of obesity in society.1

Research question =  What are the attitudes to food, weight and weight control amongst the female south-east Asian community in the UK?

Topics:

-          causes of obesity

-          risks of obesity

-          Perception of obesity

-          food preferences

-          perceptions of food and its role in society

-           Understanding of strategies to lose weight

-          Control of food consumption

Questions (semi-structured qualitative interview)

1. what do you think obesity is? (use this opportunity to correct misunderstanding)

2. Why do you think people become obese?

3. What do you think the impacts of obesity are on human health?

4.  What do you think the impacts of obesity are on people’s lives (steer away from health issues, but allow for the impact of the limitations of these health issues on peoples day-day lives)

5. Do you have any particular views on obesity?

6. What do you think the views in society are with regards to obesity?

7.  How important is food for you?

8. What is the significance of food for you and in your family?

9. Who do you think has control over the food you eat?

10. Have you ever felt pressured to eat things you didn’t want to eat? (from another person or a company or any 3rd party)

11. What do you think are the best ways to lose weight?

12. Would you say that the same strategies would work for everyone?

 

(I'm not sure if this is exactly what was wanted?? Hope it's ok)

In reply to Samuel Dafydd Rigby

Re: perspectives on obesity

by Sara Shaw -

Thanks Samuel, a really interesting example and good that you have found existing literature that you are keen to then build on through your own research. I don’t know the Shoneye study but it may be that you could compare you own findings with those in their study to gain an even richer picture of attitudes across different groups.

As ‘obesity’ is a potentially sensitive area, I wondered if it might help to open the interview differently, perhaps asking about the kind of food that the interviewee and their family typically eat before then exploring the significance of this, any problems with food and weight, what this means etc… this might help you to access people’s own understanding of food and weight, rather than assessing it against a disease category of ‘obesity’. What do you/others think?

In reply to Sara Shaw

Re: perspectives on obesity

by Yasin Fatine -

I agree that one has to be sensitive when dealing with patients who are conscious about their weight, but I think it depends on the context in which these questions are asked, and by whom. Is this interview happening after a GP appointment they've had? Because we have been encouraged to explore the patient's 'ideas, concerns and expectations'. The issue with the use of the word 'obesity', I'm not sure about; wasn't there an article where it was encouraged to say 'you are fat' (or something to that effect) to patients?

In reply to Samuel Dafydd Rigby

Re: perspectives on obesity

by Deleted user -

Hi Sam,

 

I kind of get the sense you are linking the accepability of 'heavier' weight to 'obseity'. I'm not too sure what response you will get from interviewees if you implied in your questions that if their definition of what 'fat' is would change, then maybe they wouldn't be so obese. I of course, may be misunderstanding you completely, but i feel your questions shouldn't have 'obese' in them at all. Let that word rather come from the interviewees themselves, this way you get  a better sense of how they distinguish 'merely being fat/thick/heavy' from outrightly being 'obese' without your having steered them to that direction right from the start.

In reply to Deleted user

Re: perspectives on obesity

by Sara Shaw -

Yasin and Florida both make really interesting points here.... firstly about the CONTEXT of the interview (the research setting, if you like) and how this might shape the interview and the quality of data that you are able to collect in any study (see a section on 'where to interview' in the Byrne chapter). And then secondly about interviewees own perceptions of 'weight', avoiding what we call 'LEADING QUESTIONS' and guiding interviewees to describe their perceptions in their own way.... a point that's relevant for the questions you design for any research study (interview, survey, focus group....).

Does anyone have any more thoughts on how Samuel could further build on his proposal?

In reply to Sara Shaw

Re: perspectives on obesity

by Ahmed Al-Nowfal -

i don’t fully understand who he is targeting, or who Shoneye et al targeted in his study, is it all women from a particular background or is it only those who are overweight? As they can give different results . Also is targeting south-east Asian women as a whole to large of a generalisation, as Indian women in theukhave a much lowerBMIthen Bangladeshi women in theUK.