A mental model of obesity: comparing expert and public perceptions in Ireland, the UK, and the US

Despite scientific evidence on the environmental causes of obesity, policies that target these causes frequently face public opposition. This study investigates the mental model that the public hold about obesity, including perceptions of the causes, consequences and responsibility for obesity, alongside support for different preventive policies.

N = 2400 members of the public undertook a cross-sectional online survey across 3 English-speaking countries with high obesity rates: Ireland, the UK and the US. We benchmarked public perceptions against N = 51 experts.

We found differences between countries and larger differences between the public and expert samples. The public assigned considerable blame and responsibility to individuals, while the expert sample focused more on societal and environmental causes. Although the public and expert samples concurred on the seriousness of the problem, the latter endorsed more radical policies, such as taxes and restrictions.

Public health communications often focus on highlighting obesity as a public health problem, but our findings suggest that this message has been received. Instead, more work may be needed to challenge public beliefs about the causes of, and responsibility for, the obesity epidemic.