Public interest in weight loss and diet-related topics in Europe: an infodemiology study of Google trends data from 2004-2022

Obesity is one of the largest health issues in Europe, and media can significantly impact obesity-related habits. This study aimed to determine the trends of public interest in weight loss, physical activity, diet, nutrition, healthy diet, healthy nutrition, optimum nutrition, healthy food, and a combination of weight loss + diet-related topics in Europe, using Google Trends data from 2004 to 2022. Denmark was the most interested in weight loss topics, whereas Ukraine was the least interested. The mean relative search volume (RSV) of "Weight loss + Optimum nutrition" was the most frequent (80.65%), followed by "Weight loss + Physical activity" (78.66%). Searches for "Weight loss" + diet-related topics increased in most European countries according to Jonckheere-Terpstra trend analysis from 2004 to 2022, with searches generally declining in December but increasing in January. Our findings could help scientists and practitioners develop and select strategies, particularly during times of high public interest.