Mental and emotional representations of “weight loss”: free-word association networks in members of bariatric surgery-related social media communities

Gero, Daniel; File, Bálint; Hinrichs, Noreen; Mueller, Matteo; Ulbert, István; Somogyvári, Zoltán; Bueter, Marco

doi:10.5167/uzh-192077

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Gero, D., File, B., Hinrichs, N., Mueller, M., Ulbert, I., Somogyvári, Z., & Bueter, M. (2020). Mental and emotional representations of “weight loss”: free-word association networks in members of bariatric surgery-related social media communities. Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases, 16, 1312–1320. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soard.2020.05.032

Abstract

Background: Mindset and communication barriers may hinder the acceptance of bariatric surgery (BS) by the eligible patient population.

Objectives: To improve the understanding of expectations, opinions, emotions, and attitudes toward weight loss among patients with obesity.

Setting: Switzerland, Germany, Austria.

Methods: Survey data collected from BS-related social media communities (n = 1482). Participants were asked to write 5 words that first came to their mind about "weight loss," and to select 2 emotions, which best described