Historically, fatness was a desirable attribute associated with social status, wealth, and fertility. Although this view is still dominant in certain cultures, the Western world recognizes adiposity as a chronic condition that hampers human health. Individuals with obesity are often stigmatized, and many lean individuals erroneously believe that severe overweight is a self-inflicted situation caused by eating too much and exercising too little. The simplicity of this thinking is opposed by the complex causes of obesity and by the "brainteasing" biology that makes it very hard for millions of people to fight their own weight issues.