Introduction
This essay focuses on adolescents battling obesity, a complex health condition influenced by genetics, lifestyle, and environmental factors (Masood and Moorthy, 2023, p.284). Obesity has emerged as a global public health concern, with its multidimensional nature posing challenges for affected individuals. This essay delves into the profound psychological impacts of stereotyping on obese adolescents, unveiling prevalent biases that lead to stigmatisation. Stereotyping, manifested through preconceived notions about lifestyle, discipline, and personality traits, perpetuates damaging behaviours and reinforces societal labelling (Gerend et al., 2021). The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) underscores the importance of approaching adolescents with obesity without judgment or bias (2019). The essay explores strategies for inclusive healthcare and societal transformation through critical analysis, emphasizing the need for self-awareness among healthcare professionals, especially nurses, to create a compassionate environment and support obese adolescents in finding a nurturing community.
Background information
Obesity is a medical condition characterized by excess body fat accumulation (Sarma et al., 2021). It develops from an imbalance between calorie intake and expenditure, often influenced by genetic, environmental, and behavioural factors. Obese adolescents constitute a significant patient/client group facing various challenges in society (Simpson, 2020). The prevalence of adolescent obesity has seen a notable increase globally. Global statistics highlight that over 340 million children and adolescents were overweight or obese in 2016, a figure doubling since 1980, as reported by WHO (2021). Obesity rates are higher among boys (18.2%) than girls (15.7%). In the UK, self-reported data by Baker (2023) indicates that in 2019, 37% of individuals aged 16 to 24 were overweight or obese. 23.4% of year 6 children (10-11 years old) in England were obese in 2021/22, with 14.3% overweight (NHS Digital, 2022). These figures translate to around 1.4 million obese children and 1.0 million overweight children in England. Symptoms may include increased body weight, fatigue, and breathlessness. Daily life problems can include reduced mobility, increased risk of chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease, and psychological issues. Factors contributing to this rise include changes in dietary habits, sedentary lifestyles, and genetic predispositions (Cardel et al., 2020).
Stereotyping of the Obese Adolescents
Stereotyping is the act of applying generalised beliefs or characteristics to a specific group, often oversimplifying their diverse attributes (Guardabassi and Tomasetto, 2020). Obese adolescents face a range of stigmatising labels and behaviours from society. Common stereotypes include perceptions of laziness, lack of willpower, and assuming poor lifestyle choices as the sole cause of their weight status. These labels stem from a limited understanding of the multifaceted factors contributing to obesity, such as genetics, environment, and psychological influences (Catalan Gomez et al., 2021). The tendency to attribute weight-related issues solely to personal choices perpetuates misconceptions and societal judgment. In addition to specific labels, obese adolescents may also encounter non-specific behaviours from the public, such as being talked over, stared at, or facing disapproval for behaviour deemed ‘abnormal’ (Ambwani et al., 2021, pp. 248-258). These actions contribute to a hostile environment, exacerbating the challenges these adolescents already face. Understanding and addressing both specific and non-specific stereotypes are essential steps towards creating a more inclusive and empathetic society for obese adolescents.
Impact of Stereotyping on Patient Safety and Vulnerability
The consequences of stereotyping on the somatic health in adolescent obese are numerous which lead to missed or avoided medical consultations, hindering prevention and early intervention (Hoops et al., 2023). The stigmatisation of adolescent obesity is widespread, especially during medical interactions where adolescents are afraid to be judged and thus become hesitant in seeking health care. This can result in delayed diagnoses, inappropriate treatment plans, and inadequate emotional support for the patient and their family. The family, already navigating the challenges of having an obese adolescent, may feel marginalised and stigmatised, further impeding effective communication with healthcare professionals and hindering the overall well-being of both the patient and their support network (Jebeile et al., 2022). In addition to that, healthcare providers can unconsciously continue this delay by falling victim to implicit biases. Research by Auckburally, Davies and Logue (2021. pp.274-281) revealed that these biases may negatively affect how professionals communicate, show empathy and apply their general outlook towards obese adolescents. As a result, Wijayatunga et al. (2021) argue that the quality of care is undermined as the healthcare system fails to focus on a patient-centred approach and instead gets engrossed with weight-orientated overviews thereby ignoring needs related to total health for adolescents. This highlights the pressing need for adolescent obesity-oriented healthcare reform that tackles stereotyping and supports impartial, patient-friendly care.
The psychological effects of stereotyping related to obesity are devastating mentally for adolescents who struggle with weight-related stigma. Runcan and Runcan (2023. pp.131-139) contend that repeated encounter with societal biases usually leads to the internalisation of negative self-images, and this creates an environment where there is a lack of confidence in one’s capability. This internalised stigma serves as an ideal setting for the issues of mental health, including depression and anxiety thus, further increasing adolescents’ burden with obesity. In fact, the psychosocial stress induced by a judgmental society is one of the main triggers that cause unhealthy coping mechanisms especially emotional eating (Melamed et al., 2022. pp.23-31). In this endless cycle, the harm caused by stereotyping initiates maladaptive reactions that deepen mental distress and promote negative health consequences in obese adolescents. The complicated relationship between prejudices, mental health and coping strategies emphasises the need to break stereotypes (Emmer et al., 2020). The development of a conducive climate is crucial in fostering comprehensive health programs that address the needs and challenges facing adolescents with obesity. Despite the claim made by scholars like Solmi et al. (2021. p.270) that obese people may become resilient as a reaction to social challenges, resiliency must not be considered an admittance criterion for proper and justified healthcare treatment. Stereotyping continues to be a significant challenge in providing the best possible care for obese adolescents.
Stereotyping plays an important role in the health choices among adolescents with obesity by driving them further towards isolation and inciting avoidance of healthy activities. Avoiding physical activity or making lifestyle changes is a result of the disagreeable atmosphere created by the impression of social criticism and prejudice (Kansra, Lakkunarajah and Jay, 2021. p.866). However, adolescents are particularly prone to such influences due to the nature of developmental changes and peer pressures. The influence of societal judgments on health decisions is rather complicated. Although Dziri (2023) believes that fighting stereotypes may encourage adolescents to develop healthier habits, it is important to point out the difference between internal motivation and coercion. Although some adolescents may be empowered by breaking stereotypes, an environment based on prejudice can lead to unhealthy coping mechanisms like social isolation that help maintain the system of weight-based stigma (Westbury et al., 2023. pp.10-23). It is important to comprehend the speciality of adolescence in order to understand the intricacies regarding how stereotyping affects youngsters dealing with obesity and deciding on their health.
Strategies to Promote Inclusivity
Education campaigns are an underlying aspect of ridding stereotypes associated with adolescent obesity (Gibson, 2022). Society plays a role in supporting education campaigns that promote empathy while nurses contribute by implementing personalized educational approaches, fostering understanding. These anti-obesity campaigns intend to unravel the intricacies of obesity so as to undo prevailing misconceptions and alleviate ingrained stigmas. According to Jenkins (2022), properly designed educational programs can instil empathy and enlightenment, shying away from simplistic prejudices. On the other hand, although providing facts is important as well there are doubts concerning whether an education-only approach can be effective in fighting rooting prejudices. Education campaigns should be improved to make it real through stories of adolescents struggling with obesity. Baker et al. (2020) denote that educational approaches involving personal stories are more effective in changing societal norms. These campaigns can help to spur a more humane and understanding attitude towards obese adolescents by appealing emotionally to the public.
The approach to encouraging body positivity specifically for adolescents aims more at changing the stereotyped definition of beauty and embracing various sizes as beautiful. This is a role that should be embraced by everyone in the society. The focus is on building self-esteem and developing self-value irrespective of weight, with the aim to destroy stereotypes and create obesity destigmatisation (Downey and An, 2020). Nevertheless, issues on the risks of normalising unhealthy attitudes into individual lifestyles are essential within body positivity. A balance should be established between encouraging body positivity and understanding the importance of health. Adolescent research by Harwood, Carter and Eliott (2022) revealed that interventions aimed at promoting body positivity and health empowerment had substantial impacts on overall wellness. In doing this, the family plays an extremely critical role. The family could have an influence by promoting attitudes that support discussion on body projection and self-identity (Jebeile et al., 2020). Parents could encourage children to promote a good relationship with food and exercise, wherein they consider healthy body image as opposed to fictitious ones.
Nurses are at the centre of promoting a nonjudgmental and integrated healthcare environment to care for obese adolescents. Nurses can participate in this campaign by personalising the treatment for teenage patients and developing compassionate communication as adolescents have unique requirements (Mills, Hyam and Schmidt, 2023 pp. 217-235). Providing patient-centred care has been recommended as important not only because it is the best fit to suit specific needs but also for optimal outcomes in healthcare organisations (NICE, 2024). Nonetheless, systemic obstacles such as limited time and resources in the healthcare industry may prevent implementing patient-centred approaches. Initiatives towards designing a favourable environment for healthcare must find ways of dealing with systemic issues by training healthcare professionals comprehensively and also adjusting policies such as extended consultation times. A study by Aceves‐Martins et al. (2020) analysing the relationship between nurse training and obesity-related care suggested that patient outcomes improved as a result of tailored education while, at the same time, reducing provider bias.
The empowerment of obese adolescents shows how nurses take the role of catalysts that drive collaboration and informed decision-making aligning with the advocacy role highlighted by the NMC (2019). According to Freire et al. (2022), nurses are critical in guiding adolescents towards advocacy to ensure that they make choices and participate actively in their healthcare. This strategy acknowledges adolescents as active players in their wellbeing creating a feeling of ownership over the health dynamics. Nevertheless, Webb (2021) suggests that pushing for completely relying on the self-advocacy abilities of adolescents may be too much to achieve considering societal and healthcare structures reinforce stereotypes about obesity. Besides empowerment, there is an urgent demand for advocacy seeking to change societal and healthcare settings (Hudson, 2023). In sum, collaboration between nurses, society, and family is necessary to curb stereotyping of adolescents struggling with obesity. However, the obese individual needs to understand the benefits of healthy habits, in order to achieve better outcomes.
Reflection on Self-awareness and Resilience
In the realm of health care, self-awareness and resilience should be established among nurses as they attend to obese adolescents (Kotera et al., 2021). As a nurse, reflecting on the impact of stereotyping on obese adolescents has been a revealing journey. Exploring my own values and beliefs about other people, especially those struggling with obesity, has prompted self-awareness and a reconsideration of my thoughts and feelings. An understanding of social constructions that take advantage of obese individuals has enabled me to understand society’s tendency to create stereotypes about them, hence biases in perceptions (Iflaifel et al., 2020. pp.1-21).
It has, however, been a hard truth to tell about my thinking about other people, especially those who are obese adolescents, and it has required a direct effort to overcome preconceived notions. This self-reflection has allowed for a greater realisation of the potential dimension through which stereotypes affect adolescents’ mental and physical health in light of obesity issues (Farley and Fulton, 2023. p.321). Previously, I held the opinion that obesity is solely a result of personal choices and lifestyle. Exposure to diverse perspectives has challenged this notion, making me consider the complex interplay of genetic, environmental, and psychological factors contributing to obesity. This realization has inspired a commitment to ongoing education and a willingness to unlearn harmful stereotypes. My approach to patient-centered care is in constant flux, and I embrace the idea of change. The journey of self-awareness involves acknowledging imperfections and being receptive to transformation (Auckburally, Davies and Logue, 2021). I aspire to challenge and change any biases that may linger, fostering a more inclusive and compassionate approach in my nursing practice.
This self-realisation journey not only improved my level of understanding but at the same time provided me with truly unique tools including cultivating self-compassion and assertive communication to deal with potential stereotyping behaviour towards myself. However, developing empathy has set a frame that helps me understand people rather than evaluate them at face value. Intercultural education is also an effective instrument, as learning about different views and cultural peculiarities helps overcome stereotypes (Fruh et al., 2021). Through open communication, such a misunderstanding becomes a path on which to destroy misconceptions by creating an atmosphere of comprehension.
One of the most persistent practices for resilience building is self-reflection. It is crucial to learn coping mechanisms in order to cope with the difficult and adverse characteristics inherent in healthcare where biases are ever-present (McKinley et al., 2020). Learning to appreciate diversity both at the workplace and at home has truly been an encompassing part of my resilience-building process. This has made me take an active interest in identifying opportunities for cultural competence and sensitivity training as recommended by NICE (2024), which have subsequently created a wider perspective. As we continue to work in this iterative process, I would like to be an agent of change in the healthcare landscape and want my focus on diversity that is above stereotypes.
Conclusion
In conclusion, as a result of stereotyping obese adolescents incur physical and psychological injuries to them. These stereotypes are stigmatising and this creates delays in seeking medical assistance, poorer quality of healthcare system as well as unfavorable disposition towards mental health. Various policies such as awareness campaigns, body positivity advocacy, fostering a positive medical environment and empowering people constitute the mechanism that is pivotal to moving stereotypes aside. The use of these orientations is linked to the application of compassion and how nurses—representatives of health professionals—promoted an environment that stood for empathy. For nurses and other health care professionals working with other cultures, it is vital that they should be made to challenge their own values through observation practises of standing up to develop resilience. Collaborating with multidisciplinary teams will increase patients’ resilience and encourage patient-centered care. This is aimed at guiding obese adolescents to an accepting society and removing health care inequalities.
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