LIVED EXPERIENCES OF WOMEN WITH OBESITY, COMMUNICATION PROCESSES AND COPING STRATEGIES IN NAVIGATING WEIGHT STIGMA: A CRITICAL NARRATIVE REVIEW
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35631/IJLGC.1146001Keywords:
Communication, Coping Strategies, Obesity, Weight Stigma, WomenAbstract
Obesity is mostly conceptualized as a medical or lifestyle concern; however, women with obesity normally face difficult social and interpersonal adversities arising from rooted cultural stereotypes, including judgment and shame about body size. These distressing thoughts echo and invade various aspects of life, causing emotional suffering, poor self-esteem, social isolation, and impacting overall well-being. In contrast, there has been relatively little research on the psychosocial values of obesity, notably regarding the social stigma that is communicated and internalised as well as how women deal with obesity. The aim of this narrative review was to critically synthesize and integrate qualitative and empirical evidence regarding the lived experiences of women with obesity and to highlight communication processes and coping strategies, as they relate to the experience of weight stigma. It included qualitative information from diverse sources, including qualitative interviews, interpretative phenomenological analysis, and mixed methods inquiries, as well as quantitative information on stigma, stigma internalization, quality of life, and coping ranges. Recurring themes were found across all of the combinations and critical evaluations: Women are frequently subjected to weight stigma through verbal and nonverbal modalities such as critical words, condescending mannerisms, social exclusion, institutional biases fostering internalized stigma, self-recrimination, anxiety, social hypervigilance, and psychological burden. Coping responses are separated; adaptive coping includes seeking social support, reappraising self-worth and developing self-compassion, and maladaptive coping includes elusion/withdrawal. In clinical situations, stigma helps to prevent and disrupt engagement in care as well as effective care delivery. Little research focuses only on the female voice, and intersectional influences are under-researched, and longitudinal designs or participation are rare. Overall, the review provides insight into the role of interpersonal and systemic communication processes as intermediaries for women’s experiences of weight stigma, psychological and behavioral outcomes through coping mechanisms. It highlights women’s experiences and distinctions between adaptive and maladaptive behaviours. It supports gender-inclusive, stigma-sensitive engagement practices, fair healthcare guidelines, and a greater participatory focus to fill an important gap in research and literature, and prepare researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to tackle obesity stigma’s communicative and social dimensions.
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