Esse meu (novo) corpo me pertence? Significados atribuídos ao peso corporal por adultos submetidos à cirurgia bariátrica

Abstract

Obesity is a complex chronic disease that requires the attention of healthcare professionals as a whole. When clinical therapies prove ineffective, bariatric surgery emerges as an important treatment option. The present study had the general aim of understanding the meanings attributed to body weight by adult individuals who underwent this medical procedure. A qualitative research design was employed, including 10 participants, ranging in age from 27 to 68 years. Data collection was carried out through semi-structured interviews, conducted individually via a virtual platform. The study was disseminated online, through Facebook groups targeted at individuals who had undergone bariatric surgery, to enable the inclusion of potential participants. Sample closure was determined based on the saturation criterion. The corpus comprised transcriptions of audio recordings, which were then submitted to thematic analysis. In total, 11 themes were identified. Obesity was perceived as a personal and social obstacle to performing various daily activities, a source of prejudice, and a pathological condition by definition. Conversely, “natural” thinness was associated with guarantees of success and health. Finally, post-bariatric surgery weight loss was understood as an expansion of existential possibilities, as one among several other benefits of the medical procedure, as a sign of control over eating behavior, as a definitive triumph in a long-standing struggle, as a cause of dissatisfaction with certain changes and as a factor contributing to personal incongruence regarding the new body weight. The present study has practical implications, as it highlights that healthcare professionals should provide individuals who have undergone bariatric surgery with a humanized environment that fosters the subjective experiences elicited by the procedure.