Obesity, still trapped between disease and social stigma
Nearly three decades after its recognition as a chronic disease by the World Health Organization, obesity continues to be perceived as a problem of will or aesthetics by a significant proportion of French people. This is what a study conducted in September 2025 by Lilly France with the OpinionWay institute reveals: for 32% of those questioned, obesity is still not a disease.
This ambivalence comes up against a well-established reality.
Obesity today affects more than 8 million French people. And if 80% of respondents describe it as the “evil of the century”, this facade recognition masks persistent prejudices, often making patients feel guilty. The study highlights, for example, that 40% of respondents still see obesity as a simple “problem of will”, and 30% a purely aesthetic issue.
A lack of information which maintains preconceived ideas
Younger generations are the most likely to summarize obesity as a lack of motivation or physical appearance. A reductive vision, while the causes of this pathology are now well identified: genetic, metabolic, but also environmental. For Dr Myriam Rosilio, Diabetes and Obesity medical director at Lilly France,
“Considering obesity as a simple question of will or aesthetics is to ignore its true nature. It is a chronic illness with multiple origins. Recalling this reality is essential to overcome preconceived ideas and support with empathy those affected by it in order to facilitate appropriate care, free from judgment.”
Health education therefore appears to be a central lever. Better information, disseminated from an early age, would help deconstruct clichés and promote a more caring and less moralistic approach.
Doctors on the front line, but facing a double obstacle
The study highlights another paradox: 7 out of 10 French people want their general practitioner to spontaneously raise the subject of overweight or obesity. A strong expectation, which shows that dialogue with a health professional is still seen as a reassuring gateway to possible support.
But on the side of practitioners, the observation is more nuanced.
Nearly 40% of them believe that patients do not consider obesity to be a chronic disease. Added to this are time and resource constraints, sometimes making it difficult to set up appropriate care pathways. However, solutions exist: multidisciplinary systems that combine nutritional monitoring, psychological support and supervised physical activity.
To make progress, we will need to fully recognize obesity for what it is: a progressive, complex, and multifactorial disease. Fighting against prejudices requires better dissemination of knowledge and the promotion of existing care pathways.
But beyond the figures and awareness campaigns, it is individual stories that must be reintegrated into the heart of the system. Listen, understand, support without judging: such is the ambition carried out by Lilly France through this investigation, which invites a profound change in the collective outlook on this disease that is still too misunderstood.