Perceptions of Persons With Obesity or Overweight Toward this Disease and Its Treatment

Background: Understanding the perceptions of persons with obesity (PwO) towards this disease and its treatment may help identify misperceptions and important unmet needs. Methods: A cross-sectional, web-based survey was conducted May-June 2022 in a demographically diverse US sample with BMI 27-29.9k...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.) Md.), 2022-11, Vol.30, p.158-158
Main Authors: Ard, Jamy, Kaplan, Lee, Dunn, Julia, Kan, Hong, Poon, Jiat Ling, Mackie, Demauri, Beusterien, Kathleen, Jauregui, Adam, Gudzune, Kimberly
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Obesity
Overweight
Weight control
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Summary:Background: Understanding the perceptions of persons with obesity (PwO) towards this disease and its treatment may help identify misperceptions and important unmet needs. Methods: A cross-sectional, web-based survey was conducted May-June 2022 in a demographically diverse US sample with BMI 27-29.9kg/m2 with ≥1 comorbidity or ≥30 kg/m2. Participants were asked about their perceptions of obesity and its treatment. Results: The sample (n=917) was 62.8% female and 53.3% WHITE with mean BMI 36.0 kg/m2 and mean age 47.2 years. Nearly three-quarters (74.6%) of participants with overweight accurately described themselves as being overweight; 35.5% of those with obesity accurately categorized their weight. Most agreed that obesity impacts long-term health (85.7%), increases the chance of developing other health problems (85.2%), and has significant impact on physical function (82.2%) and emotional well-being (77.4%). While 66.8% agreed that it is a chronic issue, only half (53.4%) agreed that obesity is a disease; 19.3% agreed that most PwO are healthy despite carrying extra weight. Despite scientific evidence, only 36.6% viewed obesity as primarily the result of bodily dysfunction.44.6% felt that obesity requires treatment by a healthcare provider, and 45.3% felt that prescription medication is an acceptable treatment. Most respondents believed obesity results from unhealthy personal choices (82.2%), that changes in their diet (82.4%) and physical activity (79.2%) are required to successfully treat obesity, and that lifestyle and behavioral changes are the best option for long-term weight loss (70.0%). Conclusions: Most PwO believe obesity is a chronic disease that adversely impacts health. They attribute obesity to poor personal choices and view lifestyle change as the best treatment option. A minority recognize bodily dysfunction as a cause of obesity and see a role for prescription treatment. These findings suggest a need for enhanced education on this disease and evidence-based treatment options.
ISSN:1930-7381
1930-739X