ESTIGMA DO PESO E JULGAMENTOS SOCIAIS: UMA ANÁLISE QUALITATIVA A PARTIR DA EXPOSIÇÃO A IMAGENS CORPORAIS

Abstract

Introduction: Obesity is frequently stigmatized, being associated with negative attributes that go beyond the physical dimension and impact the social identity of individuals. Objective: to analyze the physical, social, emotional, and intellectual attributes attributed to people with obesity based on visual stimuli of obese bodies. This is a qualitative-quantitative study, with 30 participants recruited via social networks. Methods: an online questionnaire containing images of a man and a woman with obesity was used, requesting free narrative production about the individuals portrayed. The texts were submitted to Bardin's Thematic Content Analysis. Results: three analytical categories emerged: (1) The obese body between biomedical classification and aesthetic normativity; (2) Emotional, social, and intellectual attributions mediated by body appearance; (3) Reflective recognition of the inferential limits of the image.

Moralizing judgments predominated, associating obesity with sloppiness, sadness, and low social status, revealing the generalization of physical characteristics to moral spheres. However, critical stances that rejected judgment based on appearance were also found. Conclusions: exposure to body images acts as a trigger for the activation of stigmas, converting weight into a marker of personal and emotional achievements or failures. Addressing this phenomenon requires deconstructing the normative narrative and raising awareness about body diversity.