Social Representations related to body weight control for overweight people

Abstract

The social representations regarding body overweight are related to the understanding of social thought about the body, a physical and symbolic entity resulting from the interaction between the natural organism and the social environment. The purpose of this study was to describe the social representations about body weight control for overweight individuals engaged in these practices. Twenty subjects participated in this study. Data were obtained through an in - depth interview and treated with IRaMuTeQ software for descending hierarchical classification. Weight control was directly related to the practice of diet and diets, followed by physical exercise as a mandatory component for the maintenance of good form and health. Aesthetics and health constituted the same representational field in all descriptions, and it is possible to verify the reproduction of normative standards about beauty and body health in this group of people who seek control of body weight.

Keywords

• Saúde
• Sobrepeso
• Estética
• Normas Sociais
• aparência física