According to a new study, nearly one in three French people say they have already lied about their weight. A taboo that seems to particularly affect the youngest.
Nearly one in two French adults is today overweight or obese, according to a study coordinated by researchers from Inserm and Montpellier University Hospital. A real scourge which complicates the French and which pushes them to… lie about their weight. At least these are the new conclusions of a study, carried out by Livi and the Opinéa Institute.
Weight, a taboo for more than 30% of French people
For this survey, 1,032 individuals representative of the French population were interviewed between March 6 and 11, 2024. The candidates – both men and women – were aged between 18 and 70 years old.
However, after calculating the BMI of the candidates and questioning them about their weight, the researchers realized that more than a third of French people (33%) were not comfortable with their weight.
A discomfort which concerns more women (42%) and those who are overweight (43%) or even obese (73%).
Furthermore, if one in two French people consider it important “to monitor your weight“while weighing themselves at least once a week, they are still not comfortable talking about it. Thus, almost one in 3 French people (30%) say they have already lied about their weight. This is particularly the case among younger people: 43% of respondents are between 18 and 40 years old.
On this subject, women are also more likely to lie: 39% of women questioned on this question admit to having lied about their weight, compared to 21% of men. These lies mainly target friends (16%) and family (14%).
“In Europe, almost half of adults are affected by overweight, according to the BMI calculation. Obesity (which is not only defined by BMI) has increased from 8.5% of adults in 1997 to 17% in 2020. According to the WHO, by 2030, 30% of French people could be obese. Being overweight can have serious consequences on self-esteem, particularly depending on the beauty standards promoted by the media and even more so since the development of social networks where image and appearance are crucial issues”, confides on this subject César Ancelle-Hansen, general practitioner and emergency physician, member of the Medical Department at Livi.
Interesting fact: if the French seem uncomfortable in their skin – and must have had difficulty discussing, or even accepting, this excess weight – they nevertheless wish that this subject would no longer be trivialized. A majority of French people would even like obesity to be considered a real disease.
“In the survey, 15% of French people think that obesity should not be considered a disease. To these, I would like to respond : yes, obesity is a disease chronic and recognized as such by the WHO since 1997. It is progressive and presents heterogeneous clinical forms, ranging from simple obesity to severe and morbid obesity. More than that, obesity is also associated with around twenty serious pathologies : diabetes, hypertension, heart and respiratory problems, joint pain. Yet although widely identified as a disease by the majority of the population French, obesity is still not officially recognized as a chronic condition in Europe and therefore does not always allow for long-term management. : a real obstacle to access to care for patients, particularly for the most disadvantaged”, underlines the expert.
Overweight affects the morale of the French
Beyond the physical aspect, weight also has a negative impact on the mental well-being of the French. Thus, the way others see them constitutes a real problem on a daily basis, for 75% of them.
A look that can even be hostile: “89% of respondents agree that being overweight or obese represents an increased risk of insults or harassment“, reveals the study.
“Deterioration of self-esteem, higher risk of depression, social isolation, young people dropping out of school, increased risk of eating disorders… This phenomenon of fatphobia can be found everywhere. Organizations such as the National Collective of Obese Associations, which represents patients, are calling in particular for the recognition of obesity as a chronic disease and are initiating awareness campaigns such as the one last March “what weighs on me the most is the weight of words. Initiatives which reflect the urgency to recognize this form of discrimination and to better understand this major health problem in Europe”, warns Dr César Ancelle-Hansen.
NO to diets, YES to WW!
A distrust of general practitioners
How to solve a weight problem? On this subject, the majority of French people trust nutrition specialists, whether they are nutritionists (66%) or dietitians (49%). The general practitioner is only citeden 3rd position (30%). A random ? No, say the study’s experts.
35% of French people questioned believe that doctors “tend to look critically at people who are overweight or obese“.
A distrust, increased tenfold among women (40% of them) and the youngest (43% of 18-40 year olds think so).
More than one in five French people (21%) also believe they have “ever had difficulty talking to your doctor about your weight“.
“Yes, there can be a form of stigmatization, often due to clumsiness, such as sometimes unsuitable medical equipment (for example blood pressure cuffs that are too small) or an attitude that is too abrupt (bringing up weight without the patient’s consent). Unfortunately, even if mentalities change, certain moralizing behaviors persist. This is why medical staff must be more aware and trained in the care of these patients. Finally, it must be remembered that teleconsultation can play a very important role in care, particularly in situations of difficulty accessing care. Let’s not forget that we have 6 million people in Europe without a GP. Above all, people who are obese among them must not be excluded from the care pathway,” concludes César Ancelle-Hansen, general practitioner and emergency physician, member of the Medical Department at Livi.
