| Early experiences of weight |
| At school I was always picked on for my weight. You never had friends. They never mucked around with the fat girl. You were all on your own. You learn it hurts very much. (57 year old female) |
| It wasn’t until I had my baby that I ballooned. I lost the weight, fell pregnant, put it all back on and now I just can’t move it. (29 year old female) |
| Weight loss attempts |
| I was always on some kind of diet. The first one was Jenny Craig when I was twelve. (28 year old female) |
| I’ve been abusing my body for the last 7 years trying to figure out what to do. (30 year old female) |
| Social experiences |
| I’ve been for job interviews and they said you’re not what we’re looking for. When I asked why, they said ‘well your size, we want someone who’s appealing greeting our customers’. (29 year old female) |
| I was on the train the other night and this woman sat beside me and said to her friend ‘This is the trouble with obese people, they take up too much room on the train’. Now that obese is out there, everybody thinks they can say it to your face [crying]. (52 year old female) |
| Attitudes towards obesity |
| Morbidly obese I hate it. I hate that term. It just plays hell with my mind. I’m not morbid, I’m not ugly, I’m not a morbid person, I’m a happy person. (32 year old female) |
| Experiences with health professionals |
| Over my whole 40 year dieting history I found two doctors who have said ‘well, come back once a week or once a fortnight and I will weigh you’. I found that very helpful and useful, because you feel like somebody is on your side. (65 year old female) |
| They have helped because they guided me and pointed things out and they were there for me. If I’ve got questions they are helpful. (28 year old female) |
| Oh well, I have spoken to my doctor about it and he just says get more exercise. I did mention it to one other doctor and he said there is only one way to lose weight and that’s meal replacement drinks or tablets. So I never went back to him because I don’t agree with that. (49 year old male) |
| My doctor keeps saying, you need to lose weight. And I say, yes, I know that and I want to and I try to watch what I am eating, but it is just getting harder and harder. (59 year old female) |
