Negative opinions on people with obesity are common in our society. Where do they come from? What do we know about the causes and complications of obesity and the effective treatment of obesity? In 2025 report on obesity prepared the Medical Postgraduate Education Centre (CMKP), a state technological and educational institution in the field of medicine. The cognition of 1088 adult Poles in the field of obesity illness was examined. Let us face common opinion with the current state of medical knowledge.
According to the CMO, "obesity is simply a chronic disease, which is defined as excessive accumulation of body fat."
To the question: whether obesity is simply a disease, 42% of those surveyed chose the option "perhaps so", and 43% responded "probably so".
Knowing that obesity is simply a medical problem is an crucial part of the process of treating it both on a social and individual level – it can be an incentive to take steps to recover. Moreover, looking at obesity as a illness alternatively than a defect, or a sign of negligence, helps to better realize sick people.
So we see that awareness of the causes and characteristics of obesity is needed in society.
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What are the causes of obesity?
Lack of physical activity and abnormal diet are considered the main sources of disease:
- 82% of respondents mention the deficiency of exercise as the origin of obesity,
- 74% indicated inadequate nutrition,
which coincides with the current state of medical knowledge, but this is not the full truth.
Fewer people are able to identify another factors leading to obesity, specified as:
- genetic and hormonal causes,
- lack of cognition of nutrition,
- Psychiatric disorders.
Of the reasons considered in the study, the least known in society are the deficiency of time for exercise and dietary planning.
Poles are well aware of the causes of obesity dependent on the patient, but they are little aware of biological, environmental and systemic factors, which frequently blame obesity people for their health.
What are the complications of obesity?
The most commonly known concomitant illness is Type 2 diabetes. The awareness of complications in the form of hypertension and heart failure. Degenerative joint illness and sleep apnea are little known co-occurring units, and only 17% of respondents knew about the association of polycystic ovarian syndrome (a hormonal disorder affecting a woman) with obesity.
How can obesity be effectively treated?
According to the CCM, the basis of treatment is lifestyle change, including increased physical activity and changes in diet. These factors, together with dietetic care, were cited most frequently by the respondents, but much little people were aware other treatments obesity, specified as:
- regular sleep,
- psychological support,
- pharmacotherapy,
- surgical intervention.
Meanwhile, consultation with the therapist and care for sleep hygiene are a very effective supplement to treatment, and in any cases medicines or surgery may be necessary.
The beliefs about the treatment of obesity are consistent with the social image of its causes – if we think obesity is due to mediocre lifestyles, we will consider changing diets and expanding physical activity as a way of combating the disease.
And in terms of causes, and in terms of treatments, the social image is mostly in line with the current state of medical knowledge, but it does not give the full fact about this disease.
Prejudice to Obesity
Of the respondents, 43% said obesity was a origin for shame. Only 13% of respondents powerfully disagreed.
The reason for specified a situation may be advanced awareness of causes specified as lifestyle combined with low awareness of environmental, genetic, hormonal and another factors. For this reason, the subjects may overestimate the individual work of the patients themselves.
We see the same in our answers to another questions, for example, 44% of respondents believe that obesity is due to deficiency of care for health, and 46% declared that people with obesity care little about their wellness than people with average body weight. Both are not true.
Interestingly, men more frequently than women agreed that obesity is simply a origin for shame, that it is due to deficiency of care for health, and that people with obesity care little about their wellness than people with average weight.
Health forecast by 2035
Forecasts foretell that by 2035 over 35% of adult men and over 25% of women in Poland will be obese. The problem is affecting more and more people, so it is essential to rise awareness of this disease, which will aid to treat it and reduce prejudice against people with obesity.
Dr. Justyna Grudziż-Sękowska, 1 of the authors of the report, emphasizes the request for educational, systemic and legislative action by the state, specified as:
- providing intellectual support to people with obesity,
- promoting healthy food choices,
- medical assistance in the field of prevention and diagnosis of obesity.
The quality and life expectancy of the population are at stake, so intervention is needed now.
