Aspectos afectivos relacionados con la obesidad. Estudio con adolescentes chilenos

Obesity is a disorder that is defined as a complex, multifactorial disease in which an increase of food intake compensates unpleasant emotional states. A qualitative, exploratory study with a sample size of 8 participants age 18 to 25 years old, in Santiago Chile was conducted through structured interviews. The interviews were analyzed using open, axial and selective coding. The analysis found that there is a level of affective activation in obese adolescents when overeating. The emotional response to overeating is driven by unpleasant emotions such as anxiety, anguish, loneliness and sadness; in addition to relevant events that are experienced as triggers. The participants explained that they manifest a negative association in regards to their body image thus feeling societal pressure towards their weight and appearance. It is important to offer new alternatives as well as continuing to better understand the emotional aspects of the disease in regards to understanding, treatment and prevention because of its complex nature. For future investigations, it is suggested to increase the sample size to better confirm the findings.