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Cited by 22Obesity and Health PracticesBariatric Surgery and OutcomesEating Disorders and Behaviors

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 67 of the 69 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.

Weight stigma after bariatric surgery: A qualitative study with Brazilian women

Open access
Dimitrov Ulian, Mariana, Fernandez Unsain, Ramiro, Rocha Franco, Ruth, Aurélio Santo, Marco, Brewis, Alexandra, Trainer, Sarah, SturtzSreetharan, Cindi, Wutich, Amber, Gualano, Bruno, Baeza Scagliusi, Fernanda·2023·PLOS ONE
DOI 10.1371/journal.pone.0287822PMC PMC10374044
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Abstract

Prior studies suggest that one anticipated benefit of bariatric surgery is the achievement of a thinner body, one that is less subject to perceived negative judgment and condemnation by others. However, additional analyses also indicate that stigma may persist even with significant post-surgery weight loss. To investigate the stigma-related perceptions and experiences of women who have undergone bariatric surgery and the resulting body transformations, we conducted individual, semi-structured interviews with thirty Brazilian women (15 aged 33–59 and 15 aged 63–72). The resulting text was then analyzed using thematic analysis. We found that some form of weight stigma persisted for our participants, regardless of weight loss. Ongoing experiences of stigma were also evidenced by the constant internal and external vigilance reported by the women, as well as their articulated efforts to distance themselves from their previous bodies. Additionally, participants reported being judged for choosing an “easy way out” to lose weight. Those in the older group reported that weight stigma was entangled with ageism: older participants received mixed messages underscoring the ways that weight and age may interact in doubly stigmatizing ways. Family and close peers were especially powerful sources of stigma experiences. Collectively, these results show that weight stigma persists even when people undergo a procedure to lose substantive weight and that the degree and types of stigma experiences are influenced by gender and age. Our study suggest future research should explore whether a targeted approach might be more effective, for example, an approach that would emphasize the importance of developing coping strategies with respect to experiences of stigma and discrimination after surgery.

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  1. E. Goffman, 1983, Estigma: notas sobre a manipulação da identidade deteriorada, Simon & Shuster, Nova Iorque
  2. FB Scagliusi, 2011, Nutrição e Transtornos alimentares

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Metadata

Authors
Dimitrov Ulian, M., Fernandez Unsain, R., Rocha Franco, R., Aurélio Santo, M., Brewis, A., Trainer, S., SturtzSreetharan, C., Wutich, A., Gualano, B., & Baeza Scagliusi, F.
Affiliations
  • Arizona State University (US)
  • Universidade de São Paulo (BR)
ORCID
Venue
PLOS ONE
Publisher
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Published
2023-07-27
Volume
18
Issue
7
Pages
e0287822
ISSN
1932-6203 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1371/journal.pone.0287822
PMC
PMC10374044
OpenAlex
W4385322533
Cited by
22
References
69
Citations by year
2026: 5 · 2025: 10 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 3
FWCI
9.07
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • PLoS ONE (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (2019/00031-0, 2017/17424-9)
  • Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (309514/2018-5)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Obesity and Health Practices
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Surgery › Bariatric Surgery and Outcomes
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Eating Disorders and Behaviors
Keywords
weight stigma, bariatric surgery, body image, weight loss, ageism, gender, older women, sustained attention, coping strategies, Brazilian women
MeSH terms
Weight Prejudice, Brazil, Female, Humans, Qualitative Research, Bariatric Surgery, Social Stigma

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