Attitudes Towards Obesity In Great Britain

With obesity on the increase, a MORI survey was conducted to establish public perceptions of obesity and the level of awareness of the causes and nature of the problem. The results confirmed fears that there is still a great deal of stigma associated with obesity. However, despite a lack of understanding about the causes of obesity, the message is finally getting through that obesity is a serious threat to our nation's health.

Obesity is a Serious Health Risk

• The survey revealed that 9 in 10 adults agree that obesity is a serious health risk.
• The 55+ age group and the 25-34 age group are most likely to agree strongly that obesity is a serious health risk.

Stigma Associated with Obesity

• 9 out of 10 adults agree that there is a great deal of stigma associated with obesity.
• The largest number of people who believe there is a great deal of stigma associated with obesity are in the age groups 25-34 / 35-44 / 45-54 years - over 9 in 10. The youngest and oldest age groups were least likely to recognise the stigma associated with obesity, although still more than 8 out of 10 people questioned did feel obesity is stigmatised.
• By region, agreement that there is a great deal of stigma varies from 84% in London to 93% in Yorkshire & Humberside.

Causes of Obesity - Myths vs Reality

• 69% of the population considered eating too much high fat food to be one of the main causes of obesity with 65% thinking a lack of physical activity also contributes. But this still leaves around one third of people who fail to recognise the importance of these factors in the increasing problem of obesity.
• Women are significantly more likely to attribute other causes to the development of obesity, even though both sexes recognise the main culprits are eating too much high fat food and lack of physical activity.

*No statistically significant difference between men and women

Causes of Obesity - Lifestyle

• Three in 10 of 15-24 year olds did not recognise lack of physical activity as being a cause of obesity. 4 in 10 of 55+ age group also did not recognise it as a cause.
• Seven in 10 people over the age of 24 say too much high fat food is a main cause of obesity. Scots are least likely to think this is a cause of obesity, with 4 in 10 failing to recognise it as a cause. While in the North East region of England only 2 in 10 failed to see the importance of this as a cause of obesity.
• Nearly half of all Londoners say eating out too much is a main cause of obesity. In general, the older people get, the more likely they rate eating out as a possible cause.
• Drinking too much beer is regarded by one third of people as being a cause of obesity. People in the North East region of England rate drinking too much beer as a highly significant factor with half of those questioned in this area agreeing that this was a major cause of obesity.

Causes of Obesity - Biological

• 47% of people attribute medical reasons as a cause of obesity, when in fact obesity is often the cause of other medical problems. Younger people are more likely to cite medical reasons as a cause. Over half of the 15-24 year olds questioned believe this. With increasing age this is less likely to be the case, with just under 4 in 10 of those aged 55+ attributing medical reasons as a cause of obesity.
• More than 40% of people in each age group believe the person's state of mind is a cause of obesity, with the exception of 55+ years of age, in which only 27% think it is a main cause.
• More than 1 in 4 of those over 25+ years believe that glandular problems are the main cause of obesity while just 1 in 6 of 15-24 year olds gave this reason. Around 2 in 5 people of all age groups blame 'your family genes'.
• Only 1 in 6 of 25-34 year olds and just over 1 in 7 of 35-44 year olds think pregnancy can cause obesity in women.

Technical details

The survey was conducted by MORI consisting of 2,098 adults aged 15+ who were interviewed face-to-face across 167 constituency-based sampling points between 23 and 26 July 1999. Data have been weighed to reflect the national population profile.