A Qualitative Study of Obese Patients' Perceptions of Primary Care Support for Addressing Obesity

Background: The response of medical services to patients who are obese is a major public health concern at the moment. There hasn't been much research done on how primary care providers perceive obese patients. Aim: To evaluate the experiences and opinions of obese patients regarding support in primary care. Design of study: Semi - structured interviews were conducted in the participants' homes as part of a qualitative study. Method: 10 patients with a variety of ages, backgrounds, and experiences with primary care services were chosen at random for semi - structured interviews. Results: Participants frequently presented with reluctance and ambivalence about the services they received when they had weight - related concerns. Additionally, they felt that the health services lacked resources and were ambivalent. Participants displayed a strong sense of personal accountability for their condition, and cognitions related to stigma were frequent. These influenced their sensitivity to the features of the services and their ambivalence about using them. These effects were partially mitigated by positive interactions with primary care professionals and more intensive support. Conclusion: Patients' ambivalence and other effects of the stigma associated with obesity make it more difficult to improve access to and the quality of primary care support in addressing obesity.