2658-P: Decisional Motivations, Treatment Expectations, and Psychological Experiences of Patients with Obesity Seeking Professional Weight-Loss Assistance: A Qualitative Interview Study

Introduction and Objective: While obesity management increasingly adopts integrated models, patients' motivations for seeking treatment, their complex expectations, and subjective clinical experiences remain underexplored. Understanding these is vital for effective care. Methods: A qualitative study recruited 24 adult patients (BMI≥28 kg/m²) via purposive sampling from an endocrinology clinic during January 2023 and December 2024. In-depth interviews explored decision-making, expectations, and care experiences. Thematic analysis was applied until saturation. Results: Three core themes emerged: Decision-making drivers for seeking intervention: From triggering events to identity reconstitution. Consultations were often triggered by specific health crises or psychosocial events. This process involved a cognitive shift in self-identity from “independent attempter” to “professional healthcare seeker.” Duality of treatment expectations: Tension between immediate relief and long-term support. Expectations were structurally paradoxical: a strong desire for rapid, significant weight loss coexisted with a deeper need for sustained, empathetic therapeutic relationships and long-term health management, the latter being key to satisfaction. Subjectivity in clinical encounters: The call for 'whole-person' care beyond 'metrics'. Patients often felt objectified as a set of physiological parameters, accompanied by marked stigma. They strongly desired to be “seen” as whole persons, with their struggles and quality-of-life concerns acknowledged. This experience was foundational to building trust. Conclusion: Medical weight loss is a psychosocial journey. Patients seek validation, support, and partnership. Practice must move beyond metrics to address patients' narratives and interactional experiences via a patient-narrative-centered model for better management and outcomes. Disclosure L. Qiu: None. J. Wang: None. Y. Lan: None. B. Zhu: None.