Public Beliefs About Obesity Relative to Other Major Health Risks: Representative Cross-Sectional Surveys in the USA, the UK, and Germany

Overweight and obesity are among the leading risk factors for death worldwide. Scientists believe that the increase in obesity is primarily due to environmental changes and thus favor obesity prevention measures targeting the environment. However, it is less clear what lay people perceive as causes of obesity, and which measures they deem acceptable and promising in fighting it. This article compares lay beliefs about obesity with beliefs about...