Table 2 Participant responses: “In everyday life, people express their thoughts on specific topics. Regarding obesity, indicate whether you agree or disagree with the following statements:” the percentages shown indicate agreement with the statements
From: Exploring the perceptions of obesity, health habits, stigma, and eating behaviors in Brazil
Eutrophy/underweight | Overweight | Obesity | Total | p value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
To lose weight, it is enough to exercise and eat a healthy diet. | 62% | 68% | 67% | 65% | 0.016 |
Losing weight requires a change in habits and sometimes treatment with medication as well. | 79% | 83% | 84% | 82% | 0.013 |
The best way to treat obesity is by combining lifestyle changes with medication. | 51% | 56% | 57% | 54% | 0.017 |
I know someone, or I have used weight loss medication without medical supervision. | 45% | 53% | 60% | 52% | < 0.001 |
It is difficult for someone overweight to lose weight without the support of medication for obesity treatment. | 33% | 39% | 38% | 37% | 0.018 |
Nowadays, it is possible to address obesity without medical supervision; there is a lot of information on the Internet. | 29% | 29% | 36% | 31% | 0.007 |
Simply taking medication is enough to lose weight. | 8% | 8% | 9% | 8% | 0.677 |
People with obesity are responsible for being overweight. | 27% | 27% | 27% | 27% | 0.994 |
Obesity is a disease, just like diabetes and hypertension. | 75% | 76% | 79% | 76% | 0.189 |
Obesity is considered a psychiatric disease. | 34% | 38% | 39% | 37% | 0.051 |