Eating Pleasure in a Sample of Obese Brazilian Women: A Qualitative Report of an Interdisciplinary Intervention Based on the Health at Every Size Approach

Author(s):Show less -

Sabatini, Fernanda ^[1] ; Ulian, Mariana D. ^[1] ; Perez, Isabel ^{[1, 2]} ; Pinto, Ana Jessica ^[3] ; Vessoni, Andre ^[1] ; Aburad, Luiz ^[1] ; Benatti, Fabiana B. ^[3] ; de Campos-Ferraz, Patricia Lopes ^[4] ; Coelho, Desire ^[3] ; Sato, Priscila de Morais ^[1] ; Roble, Odilon J. ^[5] ; Unsain, Ramiro Fernandez ^[6] ; Schuster, Roseanne C. ^[7] ; Gualano, Bruno ^[3] ; Scagliusi, Fernanda B. ^[1]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Sch Publ Hlth, Dept Nutr, Av Dr Arnaldo 715, BR-01246904 Sao Paulo, SP - Brazil

^[2] Unified Hlth Syst Brazil, Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[3] Univ Sao Paulo, Appl Physiol & Nutr Res Grp, Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[4] Univ Estadual Campinas, Fac Appl Sci, Limeira - Brazil

^[5] Univ Estadual Campinas, Fac Phys Educ, Campinas, SP - Brazil

^[6] Univ Fed Sao Paulo, Inst Hlth & Soc, Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[7] Arizona State Univ, Ctr Global Hlth, Tempe, AZ - USA

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: JOURNAL OF THE ACADEMY OF NUTRITION AND DIETETICS; v. 119, n. 9, p. 1470-1482, SEP 2019.
• Web of Science Citations: 0

Abstract

Introduction Health at Every Size (HAES) is a weight-neutral approach focused on promoting healthy behaviors in people with different body sizes and on enhancing pleasure derived from consuming food to achieve sustainable healthy eating outcomes. However, to the best of our knowledge, there are no studies in the literature assessing the effects of the HAES approach on perceptions of eating pleasure. Objective We qualitatively investigated the perceptions of obese women about eating pleasure before and after a new interdisciplinary, nonprescriptive intervention based on the HAES approach. Design The intervention was a randomized controlled clinical trial, designated as Health and Wellness in Obesity, conducted over 7 months at University of Sao Paulo (Brazil). We used a qualitative approach to data construction and analysis of perceptions about eating pleasure. Participants were randomized to either the intervention (I-HAES) group or the control (CTRL) group. The I-HAES group featured individual nutritional counseling, group practice of enjoyable physical activity, and philosophical workshops. The CTRL group was a traditional HAES intervention group (lecture-based model). Focus group discussions eliciting perceptions of pleasure around eating were conducted at baseline and post-study. Focus group transcripts were analyzed by exploratory content analysis. Participants Forty-three women aged 25 to 50 years with body mass index (measured in kilograms per square meter) between 30 and 39.9 completed the intervention and the focus groups, with 32 in the I-HAES group and 11 in the CTRL group. Results Lack of guilt about experiencing pleasure while eating and increased reflection on their own desires increased in participants of both groups after the study. The I-HAES group also displayed a greater sense of autonomy related to eating, increased pleasure in commensality, familiarity with the practice of cooking, and decreased automatic eating. Conclusion HAES-based intervention featuring nutritional counseling, appreciation for physical activity, and philosophical engagement was shown to stimulate pleasure around eating without leading to indiscriminate eating. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 17/05651-0 - Ultra processed food consumption and feeding practices of mothers in Cruzeiro do Sul, Acre: a mixed-methods approach
• Grantee: Priscila de Morais Sato
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• FAPESP's process: 15/26937-4 - Studies on physical (in)activity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: characterization, associations with disease and effects of breaking up sedentary time
• Grantee: Ana Jéssica Pinto
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate (Direct)
• FAPESP's process: 17/17424-9 - Health and Well-Being in Obesity: evaluation of an interdisciplinary intervention based on the "Health at every size" approach for obese women.
• Grantee: Fernanda Baeza Scagliusi
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research
• FAPESP's process: 15/03878-2 - Health and Well-Being in Obesity: evaluation of an interdisciplinary intervention based on the "Health at every size" approach for obese women
• Grantee: Fernanda Baeza Scagliusi
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• FAPESP's process: 15/12235-8 - The erotic belly: intersections between health, genders, feedings and sexualities in the homosexual bear community in the City of São Paulo, Brazil
• Grantee: Ramiro Andres Fernandez Unsain
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate