{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,18]],"date-time":"2026-08-18T04:28:09Z","timestamp":1787027289170,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":37,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,18]],"date-time":"2025-09-18T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1758153600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Public Health"],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Introduction<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Obesity is a growing public health problem. This study aimed to assess public awareness of obesity causes, complications, and treatment methods in a representative sample of adults in Poland.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>A cross-sectional study was conducted in May 2025 among a representative sample of 1,088 Polish adults using a computer-assisted web interview (CAWI). The structured questionnaire assessed attitudes toward obesity with 10 different questions.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      Most respondents (84.8%) correctly identified obesity as a disease. Lifestyle factors\u2014lack of physical activity (82.4%) and unhealthy diet (73.9%)\u2014were the most frequently reported causes. Complications such as type 2 diabetes (81.1%) and hypertension (79.2%) were well recognized, but awareness of conditions like polycystic ovary syndrome (17.3%) and asthma (24.7%) was limited. Increased physical activity (86.9%) and diet (86.7%) were widely acknowledged as treatment methods, while fewer participants recognized pharmacotherapy (34.9%) or bariatric surgery (51.6%). Gender, education, and self-reported economic status significantly (\n                      <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                      &amp;lt; 0.05) influenced awareness patterns. In multivariable analysis, female gender was associated with higher recognition of obesity as a disease (aOR: 1.62; 95%CI: 1.15\u20132.27;\n                      <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                      = 0.005), while adults aged 30\u201339 showed lower recognition (aOR: 0.59; 95%CI: 0.37\u20130.96;\n                      <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                      = 0.04).\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>There is an urgent need for tailored public health education in Poland that emphasizes the multifactorial nature of obesity, addresses knowledge gaps in treatment options, and reduces social stigma. Strategic interventions must consider demographic and socioeconomic differences to improve population-level obesity literacy and outcomes.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2025.1656877","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,18]],"date-time":"2025-09-18T05:32:41Z","timestamp":1758173561000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":4,"title":["Public awareness of obesity causes, complications, and treatment methods in a representative sample of adults in 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