Obesity can reduce life expectancy as much as smoking, but most people are unaware of this, a new study has shown.

In fact throughout Europe, there are widespread misconceptions about obesity and the damage it can cause.

The study, Obesity: An underestimated threat, involved over 14,000 people in seven European countries and was launched by the European Association for the Study of Obesity (EASO).

According to its findings, while obesity is increasingly being recognised as a disease by health and science professionals, it is not viewed in the same way by the majority of the general public.

Most believe it is mainly associated with individual lifestyle choices. The role of factors such as genetics, hormone imbalances, medications and mental health are given little or no consideration.

The study also noted that many people are still unaware of the many serious illnesses that obesity can cause, such as heart disease, cancer and osteoarthritis, not to mention the impact on mental health.

Meanwhile a majority of people - 56% - believe that obesity is not as dangerous as smoking tobacco. However according to Dr Grace O'Malley, chairperson of the Association for the Study of Obesity on the Island of Ireland (ASOI) - the Irish member of EASO - studies have shown that ‘moderate and severe obesity can reduce life expectancy by between five and 20 years which is comparable to the impact of tobacco smoking (10 years)'.

"Despite this, less than 50% recognised obesity as being as dangerous as smoking," Dr O'Malley emphasised.

The study also noted, in line with many other studies, that people often ‘misjudge their weight as being healthy'.

"For example in this study, 20% of those describing themselves as a healthy weight were technically overweight and 30% of those who described themselves as overweight were technically obese and recent surveys have shown that parents frequently underestimate the weight of their children," Dr O'Malley noted.

The study also found that almost one-fifth of people do not take any action to achieive a healthy weight and even fewer people monitor their calorie intake. When it comes to effective ways of maintaining a healthy weight, few people believe that wathcing your alcohol intake and getting enough sleep are important.

However, the report pointed out that while individual responsibility is important, the environment also adds to this problem.

"Our current environment is considered obesogenic (e.g. the availability of high fat/high sugar products, large portion sizes and a dependency on inactive travel) and the Government has a duty of care to each and every citizen to safegaurd population health.

"In order to tackle obesity, widespread prevention strategies are required, particularly with regard to ensuring the availability of affordable healthy nutritious food and clean drinking water. In addition if we are to take this situation seriously, reducing the promotion of cheap products being sold as 'food' will be necessary," Dr O'Malley stated.

She called for ‘multisectoral prevention strategies', as there is ‘no magic bullet to solving this wicked problem'.

Strategies which should be implemented and evaluated include taxes on high fat/high sugar/calorie-intense products and subsidies for nutritious healthy food, restrictions on the marketing of unhealthy products, support of ‘active travel' initiatives such as cycle lanes and green spaces, and helpful food labelling and menu calorie labelling.

Dr O'Malley is a chartered physiotherapist working in Dublin's Temple Street Children's Hospital.