SynthesisInternational journal of obesity (2005)2025
Systematic literature review on the awareness of obesity in adults and children living with obesity, the general public and healthcare professionals.
Synthesis in International journal of obesity (2005), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Considering Glucagon-like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists (GLP-1RAs) for Weight Loss: Insights from a Pragmatic Mixed-Methods Study of Patient Beliefs and Barriers.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveAwareness of obesity's causes and risks remains limited, affecting management and support efforts. This review evaluates evidence on obesity awareness across adults and children living with obesity, the general public and healthcare professionals.
methodsA systematic literature search was conducted across three electronic databases: PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science Core Collection, from inception until November 19, 2023. Studies were included if they met the following criteria: (1) children or adults living with overweight or obesity, (2) healthcare providers, (3) general public, and (4) assessed awareness of obesity as a disease, including its complications, causes, and symptoms, using either qualitative or quantitative research methods. Meta-analyses were conducted using the Metafor package in R.
resultsIn total, 47 out of 14,871 unique records could be included. Meta-analysis revealed that 83% [0.75, 0.92] of healthcare professionals viewed obesity as a disease, compared to 75% [0.61, 0.89] of adults living with obesity and 68% [0.51, 0.85] of the general public. Cardiovascular diseases (0.83 [0.69, 0.96]) and Type 2 diabetes (0.81 [0.67, 0.95]) were the most commonly recognised complications of obesity. Lack of physical activity (0.82 [0.76, 0.82]) and excessive or unhealthy food intake (0.74 [0.63, 0.85]) were identified as the leading perceived causes. Only 49% [0.35, 0.63] acknowledged the role of genetic factors in contributing to obesity.
conclusionAlthough healthcare professionals were more likely to perceive obesity as a disease compared to the general public, significant awareness gaps persisted across all groups regarding its causes and complications. To bridge these gaps, future interventions focusing on knowledge and awareness concerning obesity should prioritise educating people on the pathophysiology of obesity, as well as the extensive range of its symptoms and complications.
Indexed as
Identifiers
40702346What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.