Table 4 Illustrative medical trainee quotes for theme 4: “if I can do it, so can you”

Their experience contradicts mine

“My senior year of high school I weighed 300 pounds… The truth of the matter is that most of the things I hear contradict my own personal experience…I don’t believe that removing the autonomy and agency people have by saying that “it’s not their fault” or medicalizing their obesity does any good either. My belief is that someone must take on ultimate responsibility for their situation, regardless of how or why they got there. Behavior modification and change is extremely difficult and requires patience, dedication, and most importantly long term commitment.” (P51)

“While there are a myriad of complex issues that increase the likelihood that someone will have trouble maintaining a healthy weight, for my personal experience (I used to weigh 260lbs), there is not enough of a personal motivation to achieve their goals.” (P167)

“I think I have had this bias towards overweight individuals for a long time. I think it started when I was young and severely overweight and through sports and eating healthy I was able to lose weight. I just assumed that if I was able to do it then why can’t others.” (P42)

Importance of willpower

“I was about fourteen years old, weighed 220 pounds and was 5 feet 6 inches…Late in high school, I decided to change my diet and start exercising and it truly changed my life. Working out and healthy living has been a pillar in my life ever since…To those who currently suffer from obesity, I truly believe that they have the ability to change things, because I did it personally, and I felt like so many of those people probably do. Our bodies and what we put into them is one of the only things we can truly control in today’s day and age.” (P87)

“I struggled with my own weight issues when I was younger and lost the weight over a period of a few years. Thus, my belief is that change is capable if you have the determination and will to do so - however, I do understand how difficult it can be to lose control with food, and to be unable to control one’s weight or how one is perceived by others… I don’t think I outwardly express a negative attitude towards overweight or obese people, but from my experience losing weight I feel as if I express a mentality where I assume people want to change their weight when they are overweight, and that an inability to do so is a shortcoming of the person themself.” (P15)

“I have fluctuated between being a ripped, 190 lbs athlete to being 240 lbs while studying for a massive exam over the course of a few months. I have been the bookends and in between most body types (severely obese excluded). I am a firm believer that mindset can control most things, and that this is true with regard to weight.” (P186)

Lack of exposure to people with larger body sizes

“I grew up in a family of thin people and most of my friends are and have been thin. These are likely the first people to influence my worldview on weight. While nothing was explicitly said in my family to intentionally put down people who were overweight, there was still some degree of us and them.” (P2)

“I was raised in a family where healthy eating and consistent exercise was a priority, and was raised with the belief that obesity, while never a moral failing, was a reflection of a difference in priority. Additionally, having no people with obesity in my family, I interacted with very little people who were obese as a child.” (P62)

“All my life until college I was a professional athlete and have been surrounded by very fit individuals, including both athletes my age and even coaches. I believe that not being surrounded by obese individuals as much as I grew up and in my youth could have influenced my personal bias.” (P195)