| There is a pervasive belief in the United States that most people with excess weight choose to overeat and not exercise, making obesity a lifestyle choice deserving of little sympathy or patience. This belief has resulted in socially acceptable public ridicule of overweight and obese individuals and negative stereotypes. Some physicians also maintain these negative attitudes. Food addiction, which closely resembles the neurochemical response of alcohol and drug addiction, has finally gained credibility in the scientific community as a plausible explanation for obesity in some people (Gearhardt et al., 2011; Taylor et al., 2010). Although obesity rates have escalated, many physicians remain misinformed about obesity and only treat the symptoms. Most physicians are unaware of food addiction and its effects on the mind and body. According to Puhl and Heuer (2009), some physicians are also unaware of their own weight bias and its impact on their patients.;The purpose of this research was to test whether targeted education about food addiction and physician weight bias could change physicians' knowledge and attitudes about their overweight and obese patients. This mixed methods research study used quantitative methods to sample the pre and post intervention attitudes of 34 physicians using a newly developed instrument, and in addition included semi-structured interviews with six physicians. Statistical analysis was used to analyze the quantitative data. Descriptive statistics, including mean, standard deviation, and ranges were presented on the physicians' survey responses, and paired sample t-tests were used to assess the changes in physician knowledge and attitude produced by the educational intervention. Thematic analysis was used to identify common themes in the interview data.;The quantitative results of this study provided statistically significant evidence that an educational intervention resulted in marked improvement in both physician knowledge and attitudes regarding food addiction and physician weight bias. The qualitative findings highlighted the lack of awareness in this population of physicians of the role that food addiction and neurochemical responses to certain foods have in overweight and obesity. They also demonstrated that with education physicians can develop an increased commitment to coaching patients in successfully managing overweight and obesity.;The implication of this study points toward the possibility that appropriate education may make physicians more sensitive and empathetic to patients with excess weight, resulting in a more effective and integrated patient-centered model of obesity care. |
