Weight-loss practices among working-class women
Résumé
This paper focuses on weight loss methods used by working-class women. It is based on the results of a qualitative investigation conducted among women who participated in a Food Education Programme in the north of France, the area with the highest obesity rate in the country. We show that the women interviewed used three types of techniques (physical, restrictive or culinary) to lose weight. The study offers new evidence that social class is particularly relevant in weight loss practices in view of both somatic culture and relationships to employment. We also have highlighted the key role played by intra- and intergenerational mobility, especially when daughters’ upward mobility acts as inverse socialisation. We also demonstrate that the strength of family relationships is of particular importance. Watching one’s weight and dieting are more likely to occur when food is central to family exchanges, especially in the context of France where mealtimes are still a crucial moment in family life.