The Netherlands:--- Franshelis Garcia earned her PhD degree from Wageningen University & Research in the Netherlands on Friday, September 25, 2026, after successfully defending her doctoral thesis on stigma surrounding obesity and metabolic and bariatric surgery.
Garcia, a 2007 graduate of Milton Peters College’s VWO programme, moved to the Netherlands at age 18 to pursue higher education. She earned her Master’s degree in Clinical and Health Psychology from Utrecht University and began her academic career at Leiden University. In 2016, she joined the Health and Society group at Wageningen University & Research as an educator and researcher.
Her thesis, “The Social Weight of Surgery: Understanding Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Stigma through Public Attitudes, Professional Practice, and Patient Experience,” examines attitudes toward people with obesity and those undergoing bariatric surgery from the perspectives of the public, healthcare professionals, and patients. Her supervising team included Eric Hazebroek, Bob Mulder, Annemarie Wagemakers, Marie Koelen and Kirsten Verkooijen.
Garcia’s research found that negative assumptions about obesity remain widespread. Her work explored how such perceptions affect people with obesity, particularly those who undergo bariatric surgery, as well as how they are treated and supported by healthcare professionals.
Although Garcia’s research was conducted in Europe, obesity is also a significant public health issue in Sint Maarten, and her work may offer relevant insights here as well. A 2015 survey found that 29% of adults on the Dutch side were obese and 38% were pre-obese. More recent findings from the country’s STEPS survey (2023 - 2024), involving 2,042 adults aged 18 to 69, found that 73.6% were overweight and nearly 44% were obese.
Garcia’s work highlights the complexity of obesity and the importance of moving beyond assumptions about personal responsibility. Her research suggests that better understanding of obesity and the stigma surrounding its treatment(s) can support more appropriate, person-centred healthcare.
Garcia began her PhD at Wageningen University & Research in September 2020 after securing a competitive WASS-funded PhD grant. Six years later, completing her doctorate marks a significant academic milestone, celebrated by her family and friends in both the Netherlands and Sint Maarten.
