World Obesity Day
- Siddharth Veerapaneni
- Mar 4, 2023
- 4 min read
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), March 4th is celebrated as the World Obesity Day (WOD) to encourage practical solutions to help people achieve and maintain a healthy weight, undertake proper treatment, and reverse the obesity crisis. WOD was launched in 2015 as an initiative of the World Obesity Federation to stimulate and support practical solutions on a broader, global basis to help people achieve and maintain a healthy weight, and to reverse the obesity crisis.
Today being the WOD, let's understand the gravity of this problem and how we can fight this global challenge.
Key Numbers
A few critical predictions by The World Obesity Federation's 2023 atlas:
1.9 Billion - The number of people around the world that will be living with obesity in 2035
4.32 Trillion (3% of GDP) - The estimated global economic impact of overweight and obesity in 2035
100% - Childhood obesity is expected to double between 2020 and 2035
1 in 4 - It is expected that 1 in 4 of us will be living with obesity by 2035
Obesity is a major risk factor for various noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension and stroke, and various forms of cancer.
Takeaways from The World Obesity Federation's Study
According to a recent study conducted by The World Obesity Federation, more than half of the world population is predicted to be over-weight or obese by 2035 barring significant action.
Other key takeaways from the study:
Rate of obesity is rising faster among children and in lower-income countries
Childhood obesity could more than double from 2020 levels to 208 million boys and 175 million girls by 2035
Excess weight or obesity is deadlier than previously believed; it boosts the risk of death by anywhere from 22% to 91%
Groups with higher body mass index (BMI) have higher mortality rates and those with low BMI (18.5-22.5) have the lowest mortality risk
"This data is a clear warning. It is worrying to see obesity rates rising fastest amount children and adolescents. Governments and policy makers around the world need to do all they can to avoid passing health, social, and economic costs on to the younger generation." Louise Baur, president of The World Obesity Federation
Prevention and Control
People with obesity are constantly shamed and blamed because many - including doctors, policymakers, and others - do not fully understand the root causes of obesity, which are often a complex mixture of dietary, lifestyle, genetic, psychological, sociocultural, economic and environmental factors. It is time we break the cycle of shame and blame and reevaluate our approach for addressing this complex global public health problem.
There is a lot we can do, including restricting the marketing to children of food and drinks high in fats, sugar and salt; taxing sugary drinks, and providing better access to affordable, healthy food. In our cities and towns, we need to make space for safe walking, cycling, and recreation. We must teach our children healthy habits from early on.
WHO is responding to the global obesity crisis on many fronts, including monitoring global trends and prevalence, the development of a broad range of guidance addressing the prevention and treatment of overweight and obesity, and providing implementation support and guidance such as the Report of the Commission on Ending Childhood Obesity.
WHO is currently developing a practice and science-informed, people-centred guideline on the integrated management of adolescents 10-19 years of age in all their diversity with obesity using a primary health care approach. This normative work has been prioritized as a technical normative product by WHO and is aligned with their 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development 3: “Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.”
Let's Solve this Global Problem
Small steps precede a big leap. For the obesity problem, those steps require us to focus on physical activity for ourselves and the people around us. Upon realizing this problem for myself, it took me three years of regular workouts, which improved in structure and rigor as I became more knowledgeable of the science behind fitness, to claim to have achieved my goal of maintaining optimal weight and be one of the fittest of my age group. Although strength training and conditioning are beneficial and safe for children to engage in, there remain myths and misconceptions regarding their use, thus preventing adoption and spread. In one of my earlier posts I explained how these myths were dispelled through scientific studies.
I would urge you to take the first step and start with small goals. Incorporate simple exercises every day including walking, jogging, and at-home exercises like yoga, Pilates, or body weight. If you are consistent with your workouts and healthy eating habits, results will show! I strongly recommend young kids to inculcate fitness and strength training into their lifestyle and would be happy to share my knowledge if they need guidance. Contact Me with any questions on improving fitness and/or structuring your workout schedule. I also love to hear any feedback you may have on this post through comments below
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