World Obesity Day aims to change perceptions, eliminate stigmas, and raise awareness about the medical condition of obesity. Excess body weight in the form of fat can lead to serious health issues like heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, arthritis, and cancer. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines overweight as a BMI of 25 or higher, and obesity as a BMI of 30 or higher.
It is a global public health crisis that affects one-third of the world’s population, including approximately one in every five children and more than one in every three adults. Obesity is associated with numerous co-morbidities, including hypertension, diabetes, ischemic heart disease, fatty liver, liver cirrhosis, gallstones, acidity, stroke, cancer, osteoporosis, infertility, and psychological trauma.
Obesity is serious because it is associated with poorer mental health outcomes and a lower quality of life. Even during the Covid-19 pandemic, obese patients were reported to have severe coronavirus illness and a poor outcome when compared to normal individuals.
Date:
World Obesity Day is a global day of action that takes place on March 4.
History:
The World Obesity Federation, in collaboration with its global members, established the day in 2015 as an annual campaign with the goal of encouraging and supporting practical actions that will help people achieve and maintain a healthy weight while also reversing the global obesity crisis.
Significance:
World Obesity Day is observed to promote practical solutions that will help people achieve and maintain a healthy weight, receive proper treatment, and reverse the obesity epidemic. Even a small amount of weight loss can improve or prevent the health problems associated with obesity, and when considering the causes of obesity, a healthy lifestyle, diet, and physical activity play an important role in one’s life.
Weight loss in young children is difficult because their bodies are still growing and developing; therefore, children should be encouraged to play outside in an open area rather than spending time at home watching television. Healthy meals and snacks should be provided on a regular basis to encourage healthy eating habits.