Ellen Jenner
Associate Director Clinical Strategy, Medscape
Obesity is an escalating epidemic impacting hundreds of millions worldwide. Its prevalence has increased dramatically in recent decades among adults, children and adolescents.
Obesity and heart health are directly linked. People with obesity are more likely to experience heart and circulatory diseases like heart attacks and strokes. Previously, obesity was considered a minor risk factor for cardiovascular disease. However, since 2021, it has been acknowledged as a chronic disease in its own right, significantly impacting heart and circulatory system health.
Gaps in obesity care and education
Obesity is a neglected public health problem. Causes can be multifactorial, including psychological, environmental, economic, cultural, societal and genetic. However, there continues to be a societal misperception that people with obesity are simply lazy and unmotivated. Negative stereotypes lead to poor healthcare provision for people living with obesity.
In 2023, Medscape Education performed a survey of 92 multidisciplinary physicians in Europe. Almost all survey participants considered obesity to be associated with serious health risks; however, only two-thirds viewed obesity as a chronic disease. Physicians considered that the main barriers to patients achieving sustained weight loss were economic and societal factors, lack of willpower and lack of education. Findings from other studies1,2,3 highlight a need to increase understanding of obesity and its causation.
Managing the complexities of obesity requires
a multifaceted approach, including lifestyle
changes and appropriate drug therapy.
Multifaceted obesity treatment
Managing the complexities of obesity requires a multifaceted approach, including lifestyle changes and appropriate drug therapy. New weight loss medications are changing the treatment landscape. Healthcare providers must be kept informed of the latest clinical advances to elevate patient care in this evolving field.
Improving global education for physicians
As the largest online education platform for primary and secondary care physicians, Medscape Education has reached over 100,000 healthcare professionals, including 88,000 physicians from 29 specialties, with obesity education since 2022. This valuable education has been made even more accessible through the Medscape App, which has been downloaded over 17 million times since its launch in 2009.
Physicians participating in Medscape programmes globally have consistently shown improvements in understanding obesity management and its best applications in clinical practice. They aim to improve obesity-related health outcomes for those living with this chronic, progressive disease by addressing learning gaps and educational needs of healthcare professionals through targeted programmes.
[1] Hughes CA, et al. Changing the narrative around obesity in the UK: a survey of people with obesity and healthcare professionals from the ACTION-IO study. BMJ Open. 2021;11:e045616.
[2] Jeffers L, et al. Healthcare professionals’ perceptions and experiences of obesity and overweight and its management in primary care settings: a qualitative systematic review. Prim Health Care Res Dev. 2024;25:e5.
[3] Rubino F, et al. Attitudes about the treatment of obesity among healthcare providers involved in the care of obesity-related diseases: a survey across medical specialties in multiple European countries. Obes Sci Pract. 2021;7:659-668.
