Otros puntos a analizar para mejorar la selección de personal

Interpersonal and intrapersonal experiences have rarely been explored together in the context of obesity. The quantitative research has been and continues to be focused on biomedical perspectives with an emphasis on comorbid health conditions. More recently there has also been an emphasis on the social policy perspective and the impact of current ‘obesogenic’ environments. Whilst the research highlights the multicomponent profile of this condition it fails to offer an in-depth understanding of how those categorised as obese

experience the development and impact of their obesity. Qualitative approaches by their very nature have the capacity to provide an in-depth understanding and the opportunity to explore psychological components of this condition that appear at this time diverse and under researched. Qualitative research so far has been limited largely to studies relating to stigma and discrimination and weight loss and maintenance. Some relevant studies pertinent to the psychosocial experiences of obesity have explored dieting and emotional distress (Thomas et al., 2008) and the psychological impact of weight loss (Magdaleno et al., 2009). Interpersonal relationships and relationships with food have been considered in qualitative studies by Lachal et al. (2012), Liebenberg and Papoukononomon (2010) and Grant and Boersma (2003). However, to the researchers’ knowledge there does not appear to be any qualitative research aimed specifically at exploring the interpersonal relationships and emotional coping and relationships with food and eating in the context of an individual’s obesity. In particular, Lo Coco et al. (2011) point out that there is a lack of research exploring the relationship between interpersonal problems and obesity.

The prevalence of morbid obesity in the United Kingdom is consistently high, particularly among women. This study focuses, specifically, on the experiences of women as does much of the current research on obesity. The inclusion of men in the study may have added to the limited understanding of emotional and interpersonal functioning among men with obesity. However further exploration of the clinical population of the services involved highlighted that recruitment of relatively equal numbers of both males and females would

have proven difficult. Furthermore, maximising the homogeneity of the population under study by recruiting only women lent itself well to the methodological guidance for IPA. Within society there are dominant constructs relating to dieting and thinness and a greater negative stereotyping of overweight in relation to women (Brownell, 1991; Rodin, 1993). Faced with these issues, and the greater prevalence and increased psychological distress among women with morbid obesity (Scott et al., 2008), there seemed adequate rationale for the development of a study specifically exploring the experiences of women who are morbidly obese.

BED is prevalent among those with obesity and is more common in women. BED is associated with increased psychological distress among those with obesity compared to the non-BED obese population (for a review see De Zwaan, 2001). Recently, research has begun to highlight the complexity of people’s relationships with food and eating and the

idiosyncrasies in experience among those with obesity. Therefore the study aims to understand this complexity further, therefore inclusion of those with BED and those with mood disorders will allow for the exploration of a variety of experiences pertinent to obesity and the issues under study.

The present study is therefore designed to explore specifically the above factors in the context of morbid obesity among women: those most at risk of the complexities of

interpersonal and intrapersonal problems. This can be argued as being particularly

appropriate at a time when there is growing concern regarding the prevalence and impact of obesity, political pressure to curb the epidemic and a need for greater success in the treatment and prevention of obesity.

1.15.1 Overall Aim

The aim of the current study was to explore the experiences of women who are morbidly obese, with respect to their emotional and interpersonal functioning in the context of their relationships with food and weight. The study applied a qualitative methodology, employing semi-structured interviews. Interpretations will be made from the perspective of a female (in the healthy weight range), trainee clinical psychologist, regarding how

relationships, emotions and eating and weight histories are experienced by women who are morbidly obese.

The data from the interviews will be considered alongside psychometric data collected to shed light on the context of the individual’s depressive symptomatology and maladaptive schemata. Understanding the emotional and interpersonal context in which these women have experienced their obesity should enhance our understanding of the role of these factors in the development, maintenance and course of this condition. In order to

acknowledge and understand the complexity of this specific population, standardised measures were administered to collect detail on the emotional and cognitive aspects of the participants’ experiences. This contextual information allows the reader to learn something further about “the life world of the particular participants who have told their stories” (Smith, 2004, p. 42).

This research could have implications for prevention and treatment, particularly in relation to assessment of an appropriate multidisciplinary treatment approach, building effective professional relationships and identifying factors relevant to weight loss maintenance. It is intended that the study will be published in a peer reviewed journal in order to disseminate the findings and contribute to the literature relating to emotional and interpersonal functioning in obese individuals.

1.15.2 Objectives

1. To provide reflections on the interpreted experiences of women’s interpersonal relationships and emotional functioning in the context of food and diet histories and morbid obesity.

2. To explore the meanings women make of the impact of relationships and emotions on eating and weight, in relation to the development and maintenance and course of their obesity.

3. To understand obese women’s experiences of these factors in the context of

depressive symptomology and maladaptive schemata, with consideration of responses on measures of depressive symptomatology (Beck Depression Inventory-II [BDI-II]) and core beliefs (Young Schema Questionnaire-short form, version 3 [YSQ-S3]).