Unsuccessful Weight-Loss in Adults Admitted to Health Centers, Ahvaz, Khuzestan: A Phenomenological Study

Background: Nowadays, obesity is one of the most important public health problems worldwide. There are so many various factors interfering with obesity that it is necessary to be studied separately in each population. Although many people can lose weight by observing low-energy diets, they often return to the former weight and even higher. The present study aimed to identify the causes of unsuccessful weight-loss in adults admitted to health centers in Ahvaz. Methods: This was a qualitative phenomenological study carried out in one of the health centers in western Ahvaz, 2017. The data collection tool for this study was semi-structured in-depth interview conducted face-to-face and individually. The interviews were recorded and transferred word-by-word on paper immediately. Then interviews were analyzed using the content analysis method. Results: Seven themes and 11 key concepts were extracted from the contents of the interviews.The following items led to a failure of keeping the diet and achieving the proper weight: Underlying diseases, the effects of drugs on overweightness and obesity, physical characteristics, lifestyle, affecting overweight and obesity behaviors, food habits, and psychological factors. Conclusion: Lifestyle and some diseases and medications can lead to a failure of overweight and obesity confronting programs. Provision of the educational and informational programs to the society with emphasis on the side effects of weight loss medications and lifestyle changes, especially the dietary habits, together with a consideration of the mental health dimension may affect the success of people in controlling obesity.