Obesity as a stigma

The work is focused on the perception of obesity as a stigma. Obesity is a disease which characterizes the multiplication of body fat. It is accompanied by a series of somatic and psychic health risks. In connection with associated disease, the morbidity and mortality increase and rank among the second place of the most frequent causes of premature death. The word stigma refers to the person which is negatively distinguished in society. Obese man is exposed to predjudices and is stigmatized. He becomes the target of negative attacks at school, in employment, in personal life and also in broad society. Company looks at the obese individuals as stupid and lazy. In relation to the given issues, two objectives in work were determined. The first aim was to ascertain whether the patients suffering from obesity are stigmatized. The second objective was focused on the attitudes of general nurses to the obese patients. Further, there were four research issues. The first research issue was focused on the issues in partnership life by obese patients. The second research issue inquires whether it comes to the social isolation by the patients with obesity. The third research issue ascertained whether the nurses consider obesity the worsening factor during providing the nursing care. The fourth research issue concerned the negative attitudes of nurses to the obese patients. These research issues were all answered and consequence of it was that the obese patients face stigmatization in different directions and the attitudes of general nurses to the obese patients are negative. The work is divided into two parts. The first part is the theoretical part. The second part is the practical part which was processed by means of qualitative research investigations which were performed using the semi-structured interview. The interviews were then remade to case histories. They were run by seven nurses from the inpatient ward and with ten obese women. The interesting facts were found out on the basis of the processing of practical parts. It was revealed that the body weight by obese individuals is stigmatizing for them and they face number of obstacles. Obese individuals are exposed to social isolation. They do not like visiting the society and avoid larger number of people. They have difficulties in partner relationships, sometimes also in employment. Towards the fact that the obese individuals could be socially excluded or stigmatized bends also the majority of respondents of nurses, but during the provision of nursing care to obese individuals they do not occupy themselves with this problem. Personal attitudes of general nurses to obese patients are negative and it also follows from the responses of patient respondents. Therefore, the nursing diagnosis ?social isolation" was processed which could help to nurses in practice and their obese patients in the solution of this problem