Weight management is an important concern for individuals, society, and public policy. However, the voices of people living with overweight or obesity are often underrepresented in the design of weight-management interventions. Exploring their perceptions of overweight and obesity, lived experiences, and weight-loss challenges may inform more effective and acceptable strategies for the target population.

To explore obesity-related perceptions, experiences, and weight management challenges among Chinese immigrants living with overweight or obesity in Australia, and to provide a cross-cultural perspective on obesity perceptions and weight management.

From August to November 2024, Chinese immigrants living in Melbourne were recruited using purposive and snowball sampling. Eligible participants had lived in Australia for more than six months and had a BMI greater than 23 kg/m². Maximum variation sampling was used to recruit participants with diverse backgrounds. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews incorporating photo elicitation. Data collection and analysis were conducted iteratively, and recruitment ceased when new data no longer added richness to the themes identified. Interviews were conducted in Mandarin or English, audio-recorded, and transcribed verbatim by the researcher. The data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.

Twenty-five Chinese immigrants living with overweight or obesity participated in the study. Participants varied in their place of residence before migration, occupation, age, length of residence in Australia, gender, and health status. Most interviews were conducted face-to-face. Four themes related to participants' everyday weight-loss challenges were generated: (1) weight loss was viewed as an ongoing important life task but not a daily priority; (2) self-discipline and perseverance were regarded as the keys to successful weight loss; (3) generic weight loss advice failed to accommodate the diversity and complexity of individual circumstances; and (4) support from family and friends was often limited to verbal encouragement, with little behavioural support.

This study presents perceptions of obesity, attitudes towards weight, and weight-loss challenges from the perspectives of people living with overweight or obesity. Participants generally possessed common knowledge about weight loss but had a limited understanding of the complicated mechanisms underlying obesity and weight management. Improving both individuals' and health professionals' understanding of these challenges may facilitate the development of more individualised and effective weight-management strategies. The findings also indicate that support for weight management at the family, societal, and environmental levels remains insufficient, highlighting the need for greater attention to and further development of supportive systems.