“New life and a new way of living”: social representations of obesity and the weight loss process in women who underwent bariatric surgery

Abstract Objective: This qualitative, cross-sectional study aimed to understand the social representations of obesity and the weight loss process in women who underwent bariatric surgery. Methods: Sixteen post-bariatric surgery (between 3 and 12 months post-surgery) women participated in semi-structured, face-to-face and individual interviews. The Thematic Analysis of Braun and Clarke (2006) was carried out to evaluate the data. Results: It were identifying 15 codes, 11 sub-themes, grouped into 3 themes: 1) Obesity: “The monster of contemporary society”; 2) “Today is different from what it was before”: Re-signifying eating; and 3) I’m happy, very happy”: The emergence of a new life. It was observed that the low tolerance to obesity in contemporary times implies the perception that people with obesity not worthy living in society. Thus, bariatric surgery is seen as the solution to the problem, as a way to feel ‘normal’ and visible, through a more socially accepted body. Conclusion: The discourse on health, linked to physical limitations, as the main justification for performing the surgery, seems to be overlaid by esthetic issues in the weight loss process.