For many Australians living with overweight or obesity, one of the hardest parts is finding the words to talk about it. Not because people don't want to, but because experience has taught them that the conversation rarely goes well.
The Let's Talk About Weight report, conducted by METIS Healthcare Research and commissioned by Lilly Australia, surveyed more than 1,000 Australian adults living with overweight or obesity.1 It found that more than half feel judged because of their weight, and one in four had avoided seeing a doctor out of fear of judgement.1
Yet the research also revealed something encouraging – half of Australians surveyed said their doctor is the one person they'd want an honest, judgement-free conversation with about their weight – and that the single biggest driver for taking action was encouragement and support from a GP.1
What emerged from the research was a clear and consistent theme, people are waiting. Waiting to feel ready. Waiting to be asked. Waiting for someone to open the door to a conversation that, once started, can genuinely change the course of their health.
This became the founding insight that informed and led the We Won’t Weight campaign to be launched in Australia in November 2025. The campaign is deliberately not a transformation story. There are no before-and-after images, no metrics about kilograms lost, no aspirational goal setting. Rooted in lived experience and the Let’s Talk About Weight report, the campaign has a single purpose: to empower people to take the first step toward having a conversation with their doctor.
One of the most important things the campaign does is state something plainly: obesity is a chronic disease. And like any chronic condition, it needs ongoing care and support. It reinforces obesity is not a lifestyle choice. Not a sign of poor willpower alone. It’s a disease influenced by genetics, lifestyle and environment. When people understand that – something shifts. And the idea of talking to a doctor starts to feel less like an admission of failure, and more like a reasonable next step.
Why this matters now
Australia has one of the highest rates of overweight and obesity in the developed world. Approximately 12.9 million adults are currently living with overweight or obesity.2
The We Won’t Weight campaign doesn't try to solve the full complexity of obesity management. What it does instead is try to clear a path to an important conversation.
References:
- ‘Let’s Talk About Weight, 2025’. METIS Healthcare Research, commissioned by Lilly Australia.
- Australian Bureau of Statistics. National Health Survey 2022 – Table 2. Summary health characteristics, by states and territories. Reviewed December 15 2023. Available at: https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/health/health-conditions-and-risks/national-health-survey/2022/NHSDC02.xlsx [Accessed March 2026].