Committed To Weightloss: An IPA Analysis into the Experiences of Individuals Who Lost Weight Through Nutritional Intervention

Abstract

One of the challenges faced by healthcare professionals working with individuals seeking to lose weight is the issue of adherence. Individuals often fail to stick to long term dietary changes, which can impact on weight loss success. The aim of this study is to identify factors which influence adherence to nutritional intervention for weight loss, from the experiences of a purposively sampled group of individuals who had successful weight loss outcomes whilst working with a nutritional practitioner. Four participants who met the inclusion criteria took part in a semi-structured interview. They were asked to discuss their experiences of working with a nutritional practitioner, their motivation for seeking nutritional support, their experiences of working with the practitioner and the subsequent nutritional intervention and what they believed encouraged them to adhere to the intervention in the longer term. The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed and analysed for themes using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Nine themes were identified within the four transcripts. The themes were grouped and labelled as follows; (1) professional (what they do and what they know), (2) in-depth and thorough, (3) can’t argue with the results, (4) someone genuinely cares, (5) I am an important part of this process, (6) empowered by knowledge, (7) shift in focus towards health, (8) my motivation, and (9) this is who I am and what I need to do. These themes were then grouped them into three superordinate themes; I trust this process, I feel valued, and understanding of self. The findings suggest practitioners may have opportunities to influence adherence to nutritional interventions for weight loss. These opportunities can be grouped into four categories, which are: enhancing professionalism, enhancing their relationship with the client, providing coaching and providing education.