Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

ACTION-FRANCE: Insights into Perceptions, Attitudes, and Barriers to Obesity Management in France

Laurence Salle
* ORCID logo ,
Olivier Foulatier
,
Muriel Coupaye
ORCID logo ,
Vincent Frering
,
Alina Constantin
,
Anne-Sophie Joly
,
Ben Braithwaite
,
Fella Gharbi
,
Lysiane Jubin
Version 1 : Received: 24 April 2024 / Approved: 25 April 2024 / Online: 25 April 2024 (11:15:50 CEST)

How to cite: Salle, L.; Foulatier, O.; Coupaye, M.; Frering, V.; Constantin, A.; Joly, A.; Braithwaite, B.; Gharbi, F.; Jubin, L. ACTION-FRANCE: Insights into Perceptions, Attitudes, and Barriers to Obesity Management in France. Preprints 2024, 2024041641. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202404.1641.v1 Salle, L.; Foulatier, O.; Coupaye, M.; Frering, V.; Constantin, A.; Joly, A.; Braithwaite, B.; Gharbi, F.; Jubin, L. ACTION-FRANCE: Insights into Perceptions, Attitudes, and Barriers to Obesity Management in France. Preprints 2024, 2024041641. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202404.1641.v1

Abstract

Background and Objectives: ACTION-France (Awareness, Care and Treatment In Obesity MaNagement in France) aims to identify the perceptions, attitudes, behaviors, and potential barriers to effective obesity management in France and guide collaborative actions. Methods: ACTION-France is a cross-sectional survey of people with obesity (PwO) and healthcare professionals (HCPs), in France. The PwO and HCP questionnaires ran from 27/09/2022 to 01/02/2023 and from 19/12/2022 to 31/03/2023, respectively. Results: The study, encompassing 1226 PwO and 166 HCPs, reveals a shared recognition of obesity as a chronic condition. However, despite being requested by most PwO, weight-related discussions are surprisingly infrequent, leading to delayed diagnosis and care. PwO and HCPs held different views as to why: HCPs often attributed it to PwO’s lack of motivation or disinterest, whereas PwO avoided them because they felt weight managing was their own responsibility and were uncomfortable discussing it. When weight was discussed, primarily with general practitioners (GPs), discussions mostly focused on physical activity and dietary. However, results identified a strong psychosocial impact of obesity: 42% of respondents reported anxiety-depressive symptoms, and many more hesitated to engage in certain social activities because of their weight. Psychotherapy was only discussed by 55% of HCPs. Pharmaceutical options were also rarely discussed (19.5% of HCPs), though 56.1% of PwO reported they would want to. Conclusions: HCPs’ and PwO’s perceptions differed significantly and need to converge through enhanced communication. A holistic approach, integrating comprehensive training for GPs and psychological comorbidities, would help to bridge perceptual gaps effectively and foster more empathetic and effective patient care.

Keywords

obesity management; perception of obesity; physician-patient interaction; obesity treatment

Subject

Medicine and Pharmacology, Endocrinology and Metabolism

Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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