The Relentless Drive to be Ever Thinner: A Study Using the Phenomenological Method

The relentless drive to be thinner is an experience lived by many individuals in the present sociohistorical context. Since fundamental questions concerning the structure of this lived experience remain unanswered in the literature, theory-based approaches to nursing practice have yet to be conceptualized for these individuals. The investigator was unable to find even a single nursing study related to the target phenomenon. The present study addresses the foundational question: What is it like to live the experience of the relentless drive to be ever thinner? Retrospective written and verbal accounts from two women who had lived this experience were analyzed using the Giorgi modification of the phenomenological method. The central finding of this study was: The relentless drive to be ever thinner is a persistent struggle toward an imaged self lived through withdrawing-engaging. This theoretical proposition was found to be congruent with Parse's theory of nursing. The study findings suggest directions for innovative nursing practice and support Parse's theory as a useful perspective for the investigation of health experiences.