“É lá, perto da moça gorda”: estudo qualitativo sobre as percepções de mulheres gordas acerca de seus corpos e discriminações relacionadas ao peso corporal

Ulian, Mariana Dimitrov; Sato, Priscila de Morais; Pinto, Ana Jéssica; Benatti, Fabiana B.; Campos-Ferraz, Patricia Lopes de; Coelho, Desire; Roble, Odilon J.; Sabatini, Fernanda; Perez, Isabel; Aburad, Luiz; Vessoni, André; Unsain, Ramiro Fernandez; Gualano, Bruno; Scagliusi, Fernanda B.

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Original articles • Saude soc. 29 (4) • 2020 • https://doi.org/10.1590/S0104-12902020180313 copiar

“É lá, perto da moça gorda”: estudo qualitativo sobre as percepções de mulheres gordas acerca de seus corpos e discriminações relacionadas ao peso corporal

Autoria SCIMAGO INSTITUTIONS RANKINGS

Resumo

Investigamos a percepção de mulheres gordas sobre seu próprio corpo e suas experiências com discriminações relacionadas ao peso e como essas situações afetavam seu bem-estar. Trinta e nove mulheres obesas foram entrevistadas, sendo identificados três eixos de análise: (1) repercussões de ser gorda, (2) vivendo com um corpo gordo, e (3) eu sou uma pessoa ou apenas um corpo gordo? Esses eixos eram compostos por oito temas que se complementavam ou tinham significado semelhante. Os resultados mostraram que nossas participantes utilizavam mecanismos para diminuir a magnitude de seus corpos estigmatizados (por exemplo, tentando perder peso e modificando suas escolhas alimentares atuais). As participantes também relataram que ser gorda teve consequências físicas e psicológicas para elas. É importante ressaltar que seus corpos maiores influenciaram sua autoavaliação, fazendo com que se sentissem desvalorizadas, incapazes, incompletas e sem possibilidade de se sentirem amadas. Elas relataram experiências estigmatizadoras em situações familiares, no local de trabalho e em espaços públicos, e relataram serem estigmatizadas por pessoas próximas e desconhecidas, bem como por profissionais de saúde. Foi relatado que esses profissionais tratam os pacientes com desrespeito, o que exige atenção quanto às desigualdades na assistência à saúde de pessoas obesas. Nossos resultados enfatizam que atitudes estigmatizadoras em relação às pessoas gordas e suas próprias considerações sobre si mesmas têm consequências negativas para seu bem-estar físico e mental.

Palavras-chave:
Obesidade; Estigmatização; Discriminação Relacionada ao Peso; Autoestima; Educação Física

Theme	Kappa
Influences of a fat body	0.675
Attitudes about the participants’ own body	0.675
Prejudice against the participants’ fat body	0.836
Prejudice against someone else’s fat body	0.837
Discriminators of the participants’ fat body	0.836
Supportive attitudes	1.000
Fat as a curse	0.847
Indirect discriminatory comments	0.658

Theme	Theme description
Influences of a fat body	The theme described obesity influences on participants’ actions. It included influences on how they dressed their bodies, on their physical disposal, on uncomfortable experiences in public spaces, and on their personality. This quote exemplifies one of these influences: Dress, skirt, it’s been a while since I don’t wear them because I can’t find a size that fits me, I don’t feel good wearing them, so it bothers me a lot… Tight-fitting clothes I haven’t worn in a while too (P10).
Attitudes about the participants’ own body	The theme described excerpts in which participants expressed attitudes towards their own bodies. It included when they expressed how they felt about their bodies and how they related to their bodies. Also, it included how they reacted and dealt with discriminatory situations, as observed in this quote: I guess there are some looks, but then you realize the person is so stupid, so you feel pity and say “That is fine…”. Or when you meet that aunt you have not seen for a while and she says, “How fat you are!,” but then I can’t react (P16).
Prejudice against the participants’ fat body	The theme described discriminatory attitudes of other people towards participants’ fat body. It included when participants mentioned external expectations about how to attain a certain body and interferences with their lifestyles, such as recommending eating changes or physical exercises. Finally, it included examples of discriminatory experiences, as observed in the following quote: A friend of mine said, “Don’t hug me too tightly, you’re so big that you can break my back!” (P26).
Prejudice against someone else’s fat body	The theme described discriminatory attitudes towards other people’s fat body than the participants. It included someone else’s experiences regarding external expectations about how to attain a certain body, such as recommending changes in their eating habits or physical exercises. Finally, it included examples of other peoples’ discriminatory experiences, as observed in the following quote: In social media, I constantly see this kind of comment, and even if it was not directed to me I feel offended. For example, a friend of mine posted a photo of herself wearing a bikini, without any concern. And, in the comments, people told her she should not wear a bikini and if she was not ashamed of her body marks. I was offended because if they think this about her, they’ll definitely think the same about me (P27).
Discriminators of the participants’ fat body	The theme described speeches where participants clearly define who were the people to make a discriminatory comment about the fat body. It included relatives, friends, unknown people, and healthcare professionals. It also included when social media was used to mediate discriminatory comments. An example can be observed in this excerpt: My dad told me, “Wow, you’re really fat!” (P35).
Supportive attitudes	The theme described speeches in which participants mentioned positive and supportive attitudes of people about their bodies. It included experiences in which participants were encouraged to engage in activities or felt welcomed in a certain situation. This is exemplified in the following quote: I never faced prejudice or realized it. On the contrary, the other day in my work we had an event and my colleagues said, “Let us all use the same t-shirt”; and I said, “I’m not wearing a t-shirt at all, I’ll need a large one”; and they said, “That’s nonsense, don’t mind about it!” So I’m always motivated by people around me (P28).
Fat as a curse	The theme described discriminatory attitudes that expressly involved cursing words about her body condition, as exemplified in this quote: At school, my nickname was the killer whale, whale, and sandbag (P37).
Indirect discriminatory comments	The theme described discriminatory experiences that involved indirect comments about their fat body. It included experiences in which participants mentioned comments that did not have “the intention to be discriminatory,” but they understood as if they were. The following excerpt exemplifies it: Sometimes people don’t realize that I’m paying attention and they end up making some nasty comments (P27).

Faculdade de Saúde Pública, Universidade de São Paulo. Associação Paulista de Saúde Pública. Av. dr. Arnaldo, 715, Prédio da Biblioteca, 2º andar sala 2, 01246-904 São Paulo - SP - Brasil, Tel./Fax: +55 11 3061-7880 - São Paulo - SP - Brazil
E-mail: saudesoc@usp.br

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[1] Correspondence Mariana Dimitrov Ulian Universidade de São Paulo, Faculdade de Saúde Pública, Departamento de Nutrição. Av. Dr. Arnaldo, 715. São Paulo, SP, Brasil. CEP 01246-904.