It has detrimental effect on life expectancy and is associated with increased medical costs, which has a direct negative impact on public health systems. Obesity is the well-known risk factor for many diseases including type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), hypertension, atherosclerotic diseases and some types of cancer. The prevalence of obesity is increasing worldwide and has nearly tripled since 1975. Younger age had significant association with lifestyle changing behavior among overweight individuals and disappointment with current weight among obese participants.
Participants had similar body size perception and knowledge about obesity. Disappointment with their current weight (OR 2.57, 1.36–4.84 p = 0.003) was associated with healthier behavior among participants with obesity. Overweight individuals with age < 45 years (OR 1.64, 1.06–2.55 p = 0.025) were more likely and those who overestimated current weight (OR 0.44, 0.20–0.96 p = 0.036) less likely to change their lifestyle. About one third of respondents changed their lifestyle during last 12 months. Majority of respondents’ perceived obesity as a risk factor for heart diseases and diabetes but had less knowledge about other diseases associated with weight. Participants failed to visually recognize correct figure corresponding to male and female with obesity. The attitudes were compared between different respondent groups and factors associated with healthier behaviors were analyzed among overweight/obese individuals in our study population.
Nine hundred thirty-four patients, 97 nurses, 65 physicians and 30 public health experts have filled the questionnaire about attitudes towards obesity and presented data about lifestyle-changing activities during last 12 months. This cross-sectional survey study was performed in 10 primary care offices in different regions in Lithuania and in 2 public health institutions. The goal of the present study was to explore the attitudes towards obesity and to investigate how these attitudes were associated with lifestyle-changing behavior among the patients attending primary care centers, health care professionals and public health experts. The attitudes towards obesity may have an important role on healthier behavior.
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