"Easy Way out" or Empowered Choice? Examining the Online Lived Experiences of Bariatric Surgery Patients

Bariatric surgery is becoming an increasingly common intervention in the treatment of severe obesity, offering a potentially effective solution for those struggling with excess weight that compromises health and well-being. However, despite medical advancements and increased awareness about the risks of obesity, bariatric surgery often remains trapped in a web of social stigma, being perceived by many as a "shortcut" that avoids the commitment and effort required to achieve lasting weight loss. This study aims to thoroughly explore the complex relationship between body, identity, and society that lies behind the choice to undergo bariatric surgery, analyzing in depth the stigmatizing system that is triggered when communicating the decision to embark on a bariatric path. Through a qualitative methodological approach, which uses in-depth interviews and life stories the research will delve into the individual experiences of patients, exploring the motivations, expectations, fears, and identity transformations that accompany the surgical path and the transformations of the body. The investigation will focus on the role of social networks in the construction of body image and in the dissemination of information on bariatric surgery, considering the influence exerted by figures such as bariatric influencers who use social platforms to share their experiences and promote the intervention. A central point of the research is the relationship between the online representation of the bariatric experience and hate speech, strongly characterized by a logic of blaming the condition of obesity. In this sense, the idea of surgery as a shortcut to avoid the effort of weight loss is strongly pervasive within the debate around the experiences of influencers. The research intends to analyze how the experience of bariatric surgery fits into the contemporary socio-cultural context, characterized by an increasing medicalization of the body and a widespread pressure towards unrealistic aesthetic models.