Alison Lopes dos Santos, Camila Pereira de Souza, Lucas Guimarães Bloc

João's obese body

Introduction

João's obese body. Explore lived experience of obesity in psychotherapy. Study reveals how obese body is perceived as protective yet limiting, impacting self-image and sexuality.

Abstract

This study aims to understand the lived experience of obesity of a patient undergoing psychotherapy through Merleau-Ponty's phenomenology of ambiguity. It is a qualitative case study, with data collected through session transcripts and versions of meaning elaborated by the psychotherapist. The sample consisted of an adult male participant diagnosed with grade III obesity. The analysis was carried out using the critical phenomenological method, which investigates phenomena manifest to consciousness, widely used in studies of clinical psychology, psychotherapy and psychopathology. The results indicate that the patient perceives the obese body as both protective and limiting, experiencing conflicts related to food, self-image and sexuality. The conclusion is that obesity is not restricted to the physical dimension, but is an experience intertwined with the world, personal history and the multiple contours that shape the individual's life.

Review

This qualitative case study, titled "João's obese body," offers a compelling exploration into the lived experience of obesity, framed through the rich philosophical lens of Merleau-Ponty's phenomenology of ambiguity. The study's aim to understand the complex realities of an individual undergoing psychotherapy provides a unique and valuable perspective. The methodological choice of a qualitative case study, coupled with data derived from psychotherapy session transcripts and the psychotherapist's elaborated versions of meaning, promises a deeply nuanced and insightful account of the phenomenon, moving beyond purely biomedical interpretations of obesity. The application of the critical phenomenological method for analysis is well-suited to the study's aim, providing a robust framework for investigating phenomena manifest to consciousness in a clinical context. The focus on a single participant, an adult male diagnosed with grade III obesity, allows for an intensive exploration of subjective experience. The findings, indicating the participant's perception of his obese body as simultaneously protective and limiting, along with related conflicts concerning food, self-image, and sexuality, are particularly striking. This duality underscores the profound ambiguities inherent in the embodied experience of obesity, aligning well with Merleau-Ponty's framework. The strength lies in presenting these internal conflicts not as mere symptoms, but as deeply personal and existentially charged experiences. The conclusion that obesity extends far beyond mere physical dimensions, instead being deeply intertwined with an individual's world, personal history, and the multiple contours shaping their life, represents a crucial contribution to the field. This study effectively challenges reductionist views of obesity, offering a valuable humanistic perspective that has significant implications for both psychotherapeutic practice and broader public health discourse. It highlights the importance of individualized, context-sensitive approaches to care, moving beyond symptomatic treatment towards an understanding of the existential dimensions of living with an obese body. This work serves as an excellent foundation for further phenomenological inquiries into embodied experiences in clinical populations.

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