Obesity Abstracts

Background: Men are underrepresented in weight management programmes despite more men having increased health risk due to elevated body mass index. Gender sensitised weight management programmes have been trialled in an attempt to encourage more men to access support. Despite successes little is known about the views of men that have never attended any form of structured weight management programme. The aim of this research was to increase understanding of the view that men who have never attended weight management programmes have towards body weight, health and weight management programmes.

Methods: Participants were recruited purposefully at their place of work. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 16 adult men with a BMI>25 who had never participated in a structured weight management programme and were employed in routine manual occupations. Interviews were analysed using an inductive thematic analysis approach. Following early data analysis, GPs were identified as having influence on men’s behaviour regarding weight management. Subsequently, 10 GP’s were recruited and interviewed with findings from the two groups compared and contrasted.

Results: Men have high levels of body consciousness, value guidance from GP’s, have high levels of agency towards lifestyle choices and wish to preserve their masculinity which is a barrier to attending weight management programmes. GP’s did not feel equipped to deal with obesity sufficiently in primary care and held stigmatised views of men and their needs regarding body weight and weight management.

Conclusion: Failure to consider the needs of men in weight management programmes will continue to lead to low participation. Improving health literacy at population level, gender sensitisation of resources, preservation of masculinity and providing men with opportunity to follow self-directed weight management programmes is the most likely way to increase participation. GP’s need empowering to feel confident at addressing weight management in men.

Keywords: Men, body weight, programmes, general practitioners, masculinity, qualitative

Authors and Disclosures: Matthew Broughton, PhD Student, University of Nottingham. No disclosures

Professor Joanne Lymn, University of Nottingham. No disclosures.

Professor Sarah Redsell, Anglia Ruskin University. No disclosures