The body for the work of shellfish gathering women and the meaning of obesityObjective To understand the relationship between the body and the work of female shellfish gatherers from Island Itaparica, Bahia, Brazil, from the food perspective.
Methods Qualitative, descriptive, analytical approach. Individual in-depth interviews were conducted, and the field diary was adopted as an essential tool for immersion in the theme-field. The analysis of the narratives was based on approximations with hermeneutics-dialectics.
Results The participants of this study are Black women and mothers aged 20-72 who employ shellfishing as a family support strategy. Shellfishing is an activity intrinsic to small-scale fisherwomen, in which learning occurs in childhood and continues throughout life. Shellfish gatherers have compromised physical mobility due to overweight or derived conditions. Fisherwomen do not consider their bodies obese or sick despite a possibly limited movement.
Conclusion The female shellfish gatherers in this study classify the “fat body” as a strong body and consider it essential and conducive to carrying out activities inherent to fishing work.
Keywords:
Health; Obesity; Social stigma; Women