St. Maarten’s Franshelis Garcia earns PhD researching obesity stigma

THE NETHERLANDS--St. Maarten’s Franshelis Garcia has earned her PhD degree from Wageningen University & Research in the Netherlands after successfully defending her doctoral thesis on the stigma surrounding obesity and metabolic and bariatric surgery on Friday, September 25, 2026.

Garcia’s thesis, “The Social Weight of Surgery: Understanding Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Stigma through Public Attitudes, Professional Practice, and Patient Experience,” examines attitudes towards people with obesity and individuals who undergo bariatric surgery. Her research considers the issue from the perspectives of the general public, healthcare professionals and patients themselves.

Her research found that negative assumptions about obesity remain widespread and explored how these perceptions affect people living with obesity, particularly those who undergo bariatric surgery. The work also examined how stigma can influence the way patients are treated and supported by healthcare professionals.

Garcia is a 2007 graduate of Milton Peters College’s VWO program. She moved to the Netherlands at age 18 to continue her education and later earned a Master’s degree in Clinical and Health Psychology from Utrecht University.

She began her academic career at Leiden University before joining the Health and Society group at Wageningen University & Research in 2016 as an educator and researcher.

Garcia began her PhD at Wageningen University & Research in September 2020 after securing a competitive WASS-funded PhD grant. Her supervising team included Eric Hazebroek, Bob Mulder, Annemarie Wagemakers, Marie Koelen and Kirsten Verkooijen.

Although Garcia conducted her research in Europe, obesity remains a significant public health issue in St. Maarten, making the subject relevant to the local community as well.

A 2015 survey found that 29 percent of adults on the Dutch side of the island were obese and another 38 percent were classified as pre-obese. More recent findings from St. Maarten’s 2023-2024 STEPS survey, which involved 2,042 adults between the ages of 18 and 69, found that 73.6 percent were overweight and nearly 44 percent were obese.

Garcia’s work highlights the complexity of obesity and the importance of moving beyond assumptions that place responsibility solely on the individual. Her research suggests that a better understanding of obesity, as well as the stigma surrounding its treatment, can contribute to more appropriate and person-centred healthcare.

The completion of her doctorate, six years after beginning the PhD journey, represents a significant academic milestone for Garcia and has been celebrated by her family and friends in both the Netherlands and St. Maarten.

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