A study by researchers from Wroclaw Medical University shows that although most Polish women recognize obesity as a disease requiring treatment, pharmacotherapy is still sometimes perceived as a “shortcut.” In a survey of 1,043 adult women in Poland, 97% agreed that obesity is a disease, yet older respondents were more likely to express stigmatizing attitudes toward anti-obesity drugs, while women with higher BMI more often felt shame about seeking treatment. Importantly, women who had personal experience with medication showed significantly lower levels of stigma. The findings highlight the need to shift the public debate from moral judgments about willpower to a medical understanding of obesity as a complex chronic disease.

Analysing longitudinal data from 2,121 adolescents aged 13–15, researchers found that problematic social media use predicted increases in depressive symptoms one year later, particularly among younger teenagers and girls. Published in Scientific Reports, the study highlights how loss of control over social media use—rather than time spent online—may be a key mental health risk factor during early adolescence.