Nutrition, exercise, rest, stress… Habits are part of our daily lives and play a significant role in maintaining health.
However, when obesity is discussed, the reality is far more complex, and there is a considerable gap between how we perceive our weight and what happens inside our bodies.
This is reflected in the preliminary results of the Social and Medical Perception of Obesity in Spain survey “Reasons for Weight”, promoted by Lilly with the support of IPSOS.
The survey involved 1,700 people with a BMI equal to or greater than 30 kg/m² and 200 primary care physicians.
Arguably the most noteworthy finding lies in the perception of those living with obesity: although 76% acknowledge that excess weight affects their health, only 56% identify that they are living with obesity.
The gap reveals that recognizing weight can impact health does not necessarily mean identifying obesity as a disease.
76% recognize the problem, but only 56% identify obesity
The survey shows a gap between the perception of excess weight and the recognition of obesity as a disease.
The 60% of participants acknowledge that obesity is a disease, but only the 38% consider it a chronic condition difficult to control solely through lifestyle changes.
This perception may be linked to an overly simplified view of obesity, mainly associated with how much one eats or how much physical activity one engages in.
Nevertheless, it is a chronic, complex, progressive, and multifactorial disease, in which factors such as genetics, endocrine processes, environment, behavior, and sociocultural influences can play a role, in addition to stress and sleep disturbances.
The survey also shows that only 33% identify biological factors as the main cause of obesity and merely 26% know that the body’s own systems can generate metabolic mechanisms that hinder weight loss.
“Eating Less and Moving More” Does Not Explain the Whole Reality
The perception of how obesity is managed also shifts when health professionals are asked.
A 40% of primary care physicians consider it very difficult for a patient to control obesity solely through lifestyle changes.
Moreover, 86% of doctors agree that obesity should be treated as a chronic condition comparable to other chronic diseases.
Dr. José Abellán, a cardiologist and content creator, notes that the problem extends beyond weight: “Obesity is associated with more than 200 diseases. For instance, cardiovascular complications are common and can be severe, even fatal. This is why we must begin by addressing the excess weight itself as the primary disease.”
The data also show which problems are most frequently linked to obesity. High cholesterol and hypertension, both at 59%, top the list, followed by type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular issues, at 52%.
The Other Problem Still Subject to Little Discussion: Stigma
Societal perception can also influence when a person seeks help.
More than half of the doctors believe that patients with obesity do not always view this condition as a serious problem or as a situation requiring medical attention.
In fact, professionals report having discussed excess weight with 66% of their patients, mainly to try to address another obesity-related complication that had already emerged.
For Federico Luis, president of the National Association of People Living with Obesity (ANPO), stigma remains a barrier: “People who live with obesity are often subjected to stigma and discrimination.”
The survey is part of “Reasons for Weight”, an initiative endorsed by the Spanish Society for the Study of Obesity (SEEDO) and the National Association of People Living with Obesity (ANPO), which aims to spark a different conversation about excess weight and move it away from prejudice.
The initiative also includes professionals and communicators linked to health and well-being such as Aitor Sánchez, Esther Gómez, Alicia González, and Xuan Lan, as well as figures from other fields such as Andrés Iniesta, Dani García, Toni Nadal, Vicky Martín Berrocal, and Alba Díaz.
