New research from 10 countries around the globe, including 1,164 participants from the United Kingdom, presented at this year’s European Congress on Obesity shows that nearly one-quarter (24%) of adolescents living with obesity (ALwO) do not know they have obesity.
“The impact of obesity – in children and adults – on individuals, society, and our health care systems should not be underestimated,” said lead author Professor Jason C.G. Halford, PhD, C.Psychol, AFBPS, head of the school of psychology, University of Leeds (England), and president of the European Association for the Study of Obesity.
The new findings come from the ACTION teens global survey study, a quantitative survey-based study that collected data in 10 countries (Australia, Colombia, Italy, Korea, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Taiwan, Turkey, and the United Kingdom) and included ALwO, their caregivers, and health care professionals (HCPs) who had direct, recent experience of clinical obesity management in adolescents.
Included in the survey were:
- 5,275 ALwO aged 12-17 years with current body mass index–for-age (based on self-reported sex, age, height, and weight) in the top 5% (≥95th percentile) for age and sex.
- 5,389 caregivers aged 25 years and over, who were the parent or legal guardian of an ALwO who lived in the same household at least 50% of the time and were involved in their ALwO’s health care decisions.
- 2,323 HCP, primary care physicians, pediatricians, or other specialists, who had been in clinical practice for at least 2 years, spent at least 50% of their time in direct patient care, and treated at least 10 ALwO in a typical month
An online panel, telephone calls, and in-person meetings were utilized to survey participants on a wide range of topics, including attitudes towards obesity and its impact, number of weight-loss attempts, and motivations/barriers to weight loss.
Many believe losing weight is their sole responsibility
The authors reported that around 9 out of 10 (89%) HCPs indicated that obesity has a strong impact on a person’s overall health and wellbeing. Fewer ALwO and caregivers, however, had similar views about this (72% and 67% respectively). In addition, the authors said that “most participants thought obesity was at least as, or more, impactful than heart disease, cancer, or diabetes.”
Despite many ALwO not recognizing being obese, most surveyed (85%) were worried about the impact of their weight on their future health, with two-thirds (65%) feeling it was their sole responsibility to deal with their excess weight. This compared to 37% of caregivers and around one in four HCPs (27%) feeling that losing weight was solely the ALwO’s responsibility.
Study coauthor Vicki Mooney, chairwoman of the Irish Coalition for People Living with Obesity and executive director of the European Coalition for People living with Obesity, said: “It is hard to fathom the pressure for these teenagers, especially as two-thirds believe it is their sole responsibility to lose weight, with many of their parents/caregivers struggling to know how to best care for their child.”