Obesity must be recognized as a disease in itself

On the occasion of World Obesity Day, which “aims to change the perception of the disease”, the Swiss Obesity Federation has published a series of recommendations. In a press release published on Saturday, she made it clear that she wants in particular to “integrate chronic obesity into the ‘non-communicable disease’ health policy strategy (Non-Communicable Disease Strategy) and to take more targeted information measures.”

Currently, obesity is only a risk factor for non-communicable diseases in the 2021-2024 NCD Strategy, the press release notes. “This classification largely contributes to the fact that there are not enough targeted measures today to prevent and reduce obesity,” says the Alliance.

Increased obesity

However, as he recalls, “the proportion of obese people in Switzerland doubled between 1992 and 2017”: now 12% of men and 10% of women suffer from it. According to the forecasts of the World Health Organization (WHO), these proportions will reach 16% for both sexes by 2030.

Faced with these facts, the Swiss Obesity Alliance regrets that “society and politics still attach too little importance to this disease” and believes that “a paradigm shift is necessary for this”. “The policy should encourage the reduction of stigma for the people involved as well as the promotion of prevention measures at all ages,” announced the head of policy, Doris Fisher-Tychler.

(com/aze)