Subjective body-related experiences, and perception of the interventions and empathy of the healthcare team in adolescents with overweight.

Abstract

Introduction. Overweight adolescents are confronted daily with stereotypes that condition their body image, self-esteem, and mood. Objectives. To describe, in adolescents with overweight, the subjective experiences related to the body in daily life and their perceptions regarding the interventions and empathy of the health team. Population and methods. Descriptive study with qualitative approach. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with adolescents aged 11 to 18 years with selfreported mass index (BMI) ≥ 26 and referring to medical or nutritional follow-up for overweight, attended at the Adolescence Service of a hospital in the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, between October 1, 2021, and May 31, 2022. Results. Twenty adolescents were evaluated, with a median age of 13.5 years, most of them from female sex (16/20). All reported body dissatisfaction from an early age (median age: 10 years old). They mention difficulty dressing due to the lack of different sizes; they even limit sports practice. They suffered weight- related body humiliation at school, in the family, or public (15/20). They perceived weight control in a dual way: weight loss was the primary stimulus for treatment, but its centrality in the consultations generated discomfort. The leading causes of therapeutic abandonment were the impossibility of temporarily sustaining the recommendations and the lack of weight loss. The treating team was willing to listen to the patients but needed to understand their daily experiences, physical, material, esthetic, social conditioning, beliefs, and perceptions. Conclusion. The adolescents included in this study perceived specific interventions of the healthcare team as beneficial, with empathic deficiencies.