Obesity in women: product design strategy for physical wellness, based on sexual pleasure

• Main Author: Mitzi Vielma
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Universidad de Chile 2018-06-01
• Series: RChD: Creación y Pensamiento
• Online Access: https://rchd.uchile.cl/index.php/RChDCP/article/view/49521

Obesity affects an important part of Chilean society, particularly women from poorer sectors. However, physical exercise programs and devices to reduce overweight have been ineffective due to cultural factors, which are aggravated due to emotional problems. Sexual performance in this group is a decisive factor in the connivance of couples and is an important reason for divorce. The difficulty of giving and receiving pleasure due to overweight, deepens the problem and maintains the vicious circle of “depression-overeating-sedentary lifestyle-obesity-divorce”. On the other hand, sexual performance improves substantially with the strengthening of the pelvic wall, but the cultural factors of the group must be overcome, which prevent it; among them, archive results in the short term and with little effort, such as winning the lottery or being a successful footballer. In effect, these are some of the most valued ways to achieve success, where, in addition, soccer is a cultural reference and sexual symbol. This project, rooted in ethnography, proposes a change in the design strategy for wellness, through the emulation of a sexual relationship, so that the user receives immediate pleasure and exercises continuously, even as a collective activity.