World Obesity Day

Highlights :

World Obesity Day is observed annually on 11th October
The main aim of the campaign is to encourage and support practical solutions to help people obtain and maintain a healthy body weight and to reverse the crisis of global obesity
The theme for 2018 is 'End Weight Stigma'

World Obesity Day is observed annually on 11th October around the world with the primary aim to promote effective solutions to tackle the obesity crisis, support advocacy, raise awareness, and improve policies around the issue to treat and prevent obesity.

World Obesity Day theme for the year 2018 is 'End Weight Stigma.'

Obesity - Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Complications, Treatment
Obesity is a condition where there is excess accumulation of body fat which poses a risk to the health of the individual. It can affect children and adults.

‘The social stigma of obesity has created several negative psychosocial impacts for people with obesity. Media is one of the main perpetrators in reinforcing incorrect and adverse stereotypes about weight. Hence, let us all join together and take an extra effort to end weight stigma with a gentle reminder to everyone that obesity is not about blaming the individual, but is a shared responsibility in the society.’
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What is Weight Stigma?

Weight stigma refers to negative behaviors and attitudes that are shown towards individuals entirely because of their weight. Although, it has been established to weaken people’s broader health, weight stigma remains relatively absent from the discussion surrounding obesity.

Obesity
Obesity infographic includes all the significant facts you need to know about obesity which is a serious growing problem among developing countries.

Facts and Statistics on Obesity

Worldwide, obesity has almost tripled since 1975
By 2025, nearly 2.7 billion adults worldwide are likely to suffer from obesity, of which 177 million adults will require treatment as an outcome of severe obesity
Over 1.9 billion people were reported to be overweight in 2016, and 650 million obese
Almost 2.8 million adults die every year as a result of being overweight or obese.
Globally, 41 million kids under five years were overweight or obese in 2016
Overweight and obesity - both are the fifth leading risks for global deaths
Overweight and obesity are associated with increased deaths worldwide than underweight
Obesity is preventable

BMI and Obesity
Do you want to get instant visual information on BMI and Obesity. Use this section of medindia and open a pandora’s box on the topic

Aim of the Campaign

The chief goal of the campaign is to:

Support and promote awareness about obesity
Reduce the number of obesity-related deaths
Raise awareness regarding the presence and impact of weight stigma
Encourage member engagement with campaigning/advocacy on obesity and weight stigma
Help people overcome the difficulties that arise as a result of stigma, which may prevent them from receiving the medical treatment they require

Obesity during Pregnancy: Know the Risks
Women with a body mass index >30 are obese and are at a higher risk for gestational diabetes during pregnancy. Macrosomia and birth defects are risks seen in the babies.

History of Obesity Day

World Obesity Day was started as an annual campaign in 2015 organized by the World Obesity Federation, a non-profit body, which is in official partnership with the World Health Organization and is a collaborating body on the Lancet Commission on Obesity.

Overweight or obesity is a condition where abnormal or excess body fat gets accumulated to the extent that it can cause adverse effects on health. Obesity is responsible for many diseases including diabetes, heart disease, liver disease, and many types of cancer.

The chief aim of the campaign is to lead and drive global efforts to reduce, treat and prevent obesity.

How can we End Weight Stigma?

1. The negative portrayal of obesity by media should be abandoned

2. The environmental factors that cause obesity should be acknowledged by the health professionals to improve efficacy and support individuals during diagnosis and treatment

3. Awareness should be raised about the multiple sources of weight stigma for greater understanding of the steps to avoid it

4. The government should take an integrated approach across various sectors to improve the environments we live in, rather than focus on individual accountability and blame Fat shaming is one of the few socially accepted forms of discrimination. So, let's come together to raise awareness about the prevalence, severity, and diversity of weight stigma and end obesity stigma once and for all.

References:

What is Weight Stigma? - (https://www.obesityday.worldobesity.org/world-obesity-day-2018)
What are the health consequences of being overweight? - (http://www.who.int/features/qa/49/en/)
Obesity and overweight - (http://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/obesity-and-overweight)
World Obesity Day - (https://www.nhp.gov.in/world-obesity-day_pg)

Source-Medindia