What the UK public believes causes obesity, and what they want to do about it: A cross-sectional study

What does the public think causes overweight in the UK and what are they prepared to do about it? The surveyed sample supported policy interventions most strongly when responsibility was attributed beyond individual control. Action to protect children was most strongly supported.

Introduction

UK governments have tried to address overweight and obesity at the population level through campaigns to encourage healthier diets and increase physical activity.¹ These campaigns are designed around discourses of individual responsibility for health and informed choice.² Nevertheless, obesity rates continue to rise,³ indicating that more radical policies may have to be developed to address the problem of overweight and obesity. We chose to study what the UK public believes to be the causes of obesity, and the relationship between these beliefs and support for potential policy interventions.

Attribution theory

Attribution theory helps to investigate the causal explanations given to outcomes, and hypothesizes that when we observe an outcome in others, such as obesity, we tend to attribute as its cause individual factors , as opposed to situational factors .⁴ Individual factors are those we have personal control over, whereas situational factors are beyond individual control, and include the environment or society in which we live. This can lead to misinterpretations of why people experience either success or failure. Outcomes often become associated with personal characteristics, such as laziness or lack of discipline.⁵ In contrast, when individuals account for their own outcomes, they are more likely to attribute their cause to uncontrollable factors.⁵

Weiner⁶ has argued that when causation is attributed to external and uncontrollable factors, individuals are more willing to provide help to those affected. When causation is attributed to internal and controllable factors, individuals are less willing to provide help. 'Help' includes public policies aimed at addressing social issues. Previous studies have supported these hypotheses in relation to social welfare⁷ and the promotion of equal rights for those who are homosexual.⁸

Beliefs on causes of obesity

US studies suggest that Americans are now more willing to accept that obesity is a significant health problem, and support policies aimed at reducing childhood obesity⁹ , ¹⁰ , ¹¹ , ¹² ; however, there are still relatively low levels of support for...