Background: Obesity is a major public health challenge, and recent literature sheds light on the concept of "normalization" of obesity.
Objective: We aimed to study the worldwide pattern of web-based information seeking by public on obesity and on its related terms and topics using Google Trends.
Methods: We compared the relative frequency of obesity-related search terms and topics between 2004 and 2019 on Google Trends. The mean relative interest scores for these terms over the 4-year quartiles were compared.
Results: The mean relative interest score of the search term "obesity" consistently decreased with time in all four quartiles (2004-2019), whereas the relative interest scores of the search topics "weight loss" and "abdominal obesity" increased. The topic "weight loss" was popular during the month of January, and its median relative interest score for January was higher than that for other months for the entire study period (P<.001). The relative interest score for the search term "obese" decreased over time, whereas those scores for the terms "body positivity" and "self-love" increased after 2013.
Conclusions: Despite a worldwide increase in the prevalence of obesity, its popularity as an internet search term diminished over time. The reason for peaks in months should be explored and applied to the awareness campaigns for better effectiveness. These patterns suggest normalization of obesity in society and a rise of public curiosity about image-related obesity rather than its medical implications and harm.
Keywords: infodemiology; infoveillance; normalization; obesity; public awareness.
©Aditya S Pawar, Sajan Nagpal, Neha Pawar, Lilach O Lerman, Alfonso Eirin. Originally published in JMIR Public Health and Surveillance (http://publichealth.jmir.org), 11.08.2020.