Behind the Scenes: Understanding Patients' and Practitioners' Interactions and Experiences with Obesity Management

Obesity is a global epidemic and a major contributor to the growing burden of chronic disease. Preventing and managing obesity is well recognized to be a complex and difficult undertaking in large part due to the multiple influences on weight management. The management of obesity has primarily focused on individual behaviour with little attention to social, cultural and environmental influences. A person's weight is a sensitive topic to address, especially in the Western world, and individuals who are obese or overweight are often marginalized, highly stigmatized in society and personally blamed for their condition, by both the broader public and the health professionals they seek support from. This dissemination grant will share the findings from a research project which explored obesity management from the perspectives of individuals living with obesity and a variety of health professionals. The research focused on understanding the different discourses (languages) to understand beliefs, values, stereotypes, myths, barriers, facilitators, and communication styles. The results from the study will be presented using an artistic representation (live theatre) reenactment of the perspectives of both the individual living with obesity and the health care professionals treating them, using a script based on quotations from the study participants and discourse analysis. The findings will be presented to a variety of health professional students as a way to support a more open, non-judgmental and collaborative dialogue around managing obesity with clients.