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One in four obese teens don’t know they’re obese
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.”
Teenagers unable to speak to parents about losing weight
Many ALwO said they struggled to talk to those closest to them about their weight, with 1 in 3 saying they couldn’t talk to either parent about their weight, and alarmingly 1 in 10 feeling they couldn’t talk to anyone about their weight. However, around one in three could talk to their doctor, and 74% said that they trusted the advice of a HCP about weight management.
Ms. Mooney said: “The results show us teenagers want to lose weight and improve their health, however, one in three teenagers feel unable to speak to their parents about it and many revert to social media for guidance.”
When it came to sources of information YouTube (34%), social media (28%), family and friends (25%), search engines (25%), and doctors (24%) were the most popular.
Motivation, barriers, and attempts
Weight-loss attempts by ALwO appeared to be underestimated by HCPs, the authors explained, while caregivers tended to underestimate both the impact of obesity on health and wellbeing, and ALwO’s weight-loss attempts.
Efforts had been made to try and lose weight in the past year by more than half (58%) of ALwO, with three-quarters (75%) being somewhat/very likely to attempt to lose weight in the next 6 months. However, fewer (41%) caregivers reported that their ‘linked’ ALwO attempted weight loss over the past year or that their ALwO was somewhat/very likely (63%) to attempt to lose weight in the next 6 months. Amongst HCPs, only about two out of five (38%) responded that their ALwO patients had made a serious weight loss attempt in the past year.
Motivation is a key component of successful weight reduction and wanting to be more fit/in better shape (40%), not being happy with their weight (37%), and wanting to feel more confident (35%) were the most common motivators for ALwO, and also the most common motivators reported by caregivers for their ALwO. For HCPs, though, things were somewhat different, with the top three motivators they reported for ALwO to lose weight were wanting the have more confidence/self-esteem (69%), improved social life and popularity (69%), and wanting to look like peers their age (65%).
The top three barriers to losing weight reported by ALwO and by caregivers for their ALwO were not being able to control hunger (38%), lack of motivation (34%), and enjoying eating unhealthy food (32%). For HCPs, the top three barriers they reported for ALwO losing weight were unhealthy eating habits (93%), lack of exercise (92%), and enjoying eating unhealthy food (91%).
“Key motivations and barriers for weight loss were not aligned between ALwO and HCPs,” said the authors. They pointed out that these disconnects may “negatively impact the level of support and effectiveness” of obesity care ALwO receive from caregivers and HCPs.
Prof. Halford said: “There is urgent need for governments and society to recognize and treat obesity as a disease, so that more teens can get the right support to help them live happier and healthier lives.”
The conference posters have yet to be published in a journal but were peer reviewed by the ECO selection committee.
The studies were sponsored by Novo Nordisk A/S.
A version of this article first appeared on Univadis.
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.”
Teenagers unable to speak to parents about losing weight
Many ALwO said they struggled to talk to those closest to them about their weight, with 1 in 3 saying they couldn’t talk to either parent about their weight, and alarmingly 1 in 10 feeling they couldn’t talk to anyone about their weight. However, around one in three could talk to their doctor, and 74% said that they trusted the advice of a HCP about weight management.
Ms. Mooney said: “The results show us teenagers want to lose weight and improve their health, however, one in three teenagers feel unable to speak to their parents about it and many revert to social media for guidance.”
When it came to sources of information YouTube (34%), social media (28%), family and friends (25%), search engines (25%), and doctors (24%) were the most popular.
Motivation, barriers, and attempts
Weight-loss attempts by ALwO appeared to be underestimated by HCPs, the authors explained, while caregivers tended to underestimate both the impact of obesity on health and wellbeing, and ALwO’s weight-loss attempts.
Efforts had been made to try and lose weight in the past year by more than half (58%) of ALwO, with three-quarters (75%) being somewhat/very likely to attempt to lose weight in the next 6 months. However, fewer (41%) caregivers reported that their ‘linked’ ALwO attempted weight loss over the past year or that their ALwO was somewhat/very likely (63%) to attempt to lose weight in the next 6 months. Amongst HCPs, only about two out of five (38%) responded that their ALwO patients had made a serious weight loss attempt in the past year.
Motivation is a key component of successful weight reduction and wanting to be more fit/in better shape (40%), not being happy with their weight (37%), and wanting to feel more confident (35%) were the most common motivators for ALwO, and also the most common motivators reported by caregivers for their ALwO. For HCPs, though, things were somewhat different, with the top three motivators they reported for ALwO to lose weight were wanting the have more confidence/self-esteem (69%), improved social life and popularity (69%), and wanting to look like peers their age (65%).
The top three barriers to losing weight reported by ALwO and by caregivers for their ALwO were not being able to control hunger (38%), lack of motivation (34%), and enjoying eating unhealthy food (32%). For HCPs, the top three barriers they reported for ALwO losing weight were unhealthy eating habits (93%), lack of exercise (92%), and enjoying eating unhealthy food (91%).
“Key motivations and barriers for weight loss were not aligned between ALwO and HCPs,” said the authors. They pointed out that these disconnects may “negatively impact the level of support and effectiveness” of obesity care ALwO receive from caregivers and HCPs.
Prof. Halford said: “There is urgent need for governments and society to recognize and treat obesity as a disease, so that more teens can get the right support to help them live happier and healthier lives.”
The conference posters have yet to be published in a journal but were peer reviewed by the ECO selection committee.
The studies were sponsored by Novo Nordisk A/S.
A version of this article first appeared on Univadis.
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.”
Teenagers unable to speak to parents about losing weight
Many ALwO said they struggled to talk to those closest to them about their weight, with 1 in 3 saying they couldn’t talk to either parent about their weight, and alarmingly 1 in 10 feeling they couldn’t talk to anyone about their weight. However, around one in three could talk to their doctor, and 74% said that they trusted the advice of a HCP about weight management.
Ms. Mooney said: “The results show us teenagers want to lose weight and improve their health, however, one in three teenagers feel unable to speak to their parents about it and many revert to social media for guidance.”
When it came to sources of information YouTube (34%), social media (28%), family and friends (25%), search engines (25%), and doctors (24%) were the most popular.
Motivation, barriers, and attempts
Weight-loss attempts by ALwO appeared to be underestimated by HCPs, the authors explained, while caregivers tended to underestimate both the impact of obesity on health and wellbeing, and ALwO’s weight-loss attempts.
Efforts had been made to try and lose weight in the past year by more than half (58%) of ALwO, with three-quarters (75%) being somewhat/very likely to attempt to lose weight in the next 6 months. However, fewer (41%) caregivers reported that their ‘linked’ ALwO attempted weight loss over the past year or that their ALwO was somewhat/very likely (63%) to attempt to lose weight in the next 6 months. Amongst HCPs, only about two out of five (38%) responded that their ALwO patients had made a serious weight loss attempt in the past year.
Motivation is a key component of successful weight reduction and wanting to be more fit/in better shape (40%), not being happy with their weight (37%), and wanting to feel more confident (35%) were the most common motivators for ALwO, and also the most common motivators reported by caregivers for their ALwO. For HCPs, though, things were somewhat different, with the top three motivators they reported for ALwO to lose weight were wanting the have more confidence/self-esteem (69%), improved social life and popularity (69%), and wanting to look like peers their age (65%).
The top three barriers to losing weight reported by ALwO and by caregivers for their ALwO were not being able to control hunger (38%), lack of motivation (34%), and enjoying eating unhealthy food (32%). For HCPs, the top three barriers they reported for ALwO losing weight were unhealthy eating habits (93%), lack of exercise (92%), and enjoying eating unhealthy food (91%).
“Key motivations and barriers for weight loss were not aligned between ALwO and HCPs,” said the authors. They pointed out that these disconnects may “negatively impact the level of support and effectiveness” of obesity care ALwO receive from caregivers and HCPs.
Prof. Halford said: “There is urgent need for governments and society to recognize and treat obesity as a disease, so that more teens can get the right support to help them live happier and healthier lives.”
The conference posters have yet to be published in a journal but were peer reviewed by the ECO selection committee.
The studies were sponsored by Novo Nordisk A/S.
A version of this article first appeared on Univadis.