Table 1.
Summary of 31 Likert-scale attitudinal and opinion questions (Adapted from Foster6)
| Prompts | Mean | SD |
|---|---|---|
| I believe it's necessary to educate obese patients on the health risks of obesity | 4.81 | 0.52 |
| Obesity is a chronic disease | 4.86 | 0.43 |
| I make accommodations for obese patients | 3.79 | 0.92 |
| Obesity is associated with serious medical conditions | 4.93 | 0.32 |
| Physicians should be role models by maintaining a normal weight | 4.21 | 0.92 |
| A 10% reduction in body weight is sufficient to significantly improve obesity-related health complications | 3.91 | 0.81 |
| I would spend more time working on weight management issues if my time was reimbursed appropriately | 4.01 | 1.08 |
| I feel competent in prescribing weight loss programs for obese patients | 3.71 | 1.02 |
| Most obese patients are well aware of the health risks of obesity | 3.41 | 1.08 |
| Medications to treat obesity should be limited to short-term (3 months) use | 3 | 1.23 |
| Most obese patients could reach a normal weight (for height) if they were motivated to do so | 2.53 | 1.09 |
| Most obese patients will not lose a significant amount of weight | 3.63 | 1.08 |
| I have negative reactions towards the appearance of obese patients | 2.8 | 1.15 |
| 'If a patient meets the appropriate criteria for obesity surgery, I would recommend an evaluation by a surgeon' | 4.17 | 0.85 |
| Medications to treat obesity should be used chronically | 2.64 | 1.24 |
| I am usually successful in helping obese patients lose weight | 2.5 | 1.00 |
| 'For most obese patients, long-term maintenance of weight loss is impossible' | 2.79 | 1.05 |
| It is acceptable to use "scare tactics" to obtain compliance of the obese patient | 2.59 | 1.16 |
| I feel uncomfortable when examining an obese patient | 1.77 | 0.92 |
| It is difficult for me to feel empathy for an obese patient | 1.81 | 0.95 |
| The factors below are important causes of obesity: | ||
| Physical inactivity | 4.62 | 0.64 |
| Overeating | 4.67 | 0.48 |
| High-fat diet | 4.17 | 0.91 |
| Genetic factors | 4.47 | 0.63 |
| Poor nutritional knowledge | 4.23 | 0.91 |
| Psychological problems | 4.12 | 0.81 |
| Repeated dieting (weight cycling) | 3.85 | 0.89 |
| Restaurant eating | 3.85 | 0.95 |
| Lack of willpower | 3.71 | 0.92 |
| Metabolic defect | 3.49 | 0.99 |
| Endocrine disorder | 2.96 | 1.04 |
Responses were scaled 1-5, with 5 indicating "Strongly Agree" and 1 indicating "Strongly Disagree." Response N for each question varied between 66 and 70 responses.