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This is an article about WHO and controlling the global obesity epidemic.

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At the other end of the malnutrition scale, obesity is one of today’s most blatantly visible – yet most neglected – public health problems. Paradoxically coexisting with undernutrition, an escalating global epidemic of overweight and obesity – “globesity” &ndas…

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This is the World Obesity Federation fighting towards helping obesity.

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Driving global efforts to reduce, prevent and treat obesity.

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Canadian lived experience advocacy group Obesity Matters joins World Obesity

Our newest member is a Canadian non-profit representing the lived experience community.

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World Obesity welcomes two lived experience representatives to our Board!

We are thrilled to announce the appointment of Ogweno Stephen and Amber Huett-Garcia to our Board of Trustees.

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Clinical Obesity celebrates its first Impact Factor!

This year, our international peer-reviewed journal, Clinical Obesity, received its first Impact Factor of 3.3.

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Obesity: The Other Pandemic of the 21st Century - This work features contributions from leading experts in the field of obesity management and prevention.

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World Obesity Federation is a membership organisation representing national and regional associations dedicated to the study and management of obesity and related comorbidities.

Our membership body currently comprises more than 80 associations in over 100 countries and territories.

Our members are organisations representing healthcare professionals, researchers, policy specialists and those with lived experience of obesity. As well as a membership programme for non-profit organisations, World Obesity runs a Champions programme for partners.

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Join us in rising to the challenge and taking purposeful action to prevent, manage and treat obesity at this #GOF2023.

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CO-CREATE

The CO-CREATE Final Conference, 12 - 13 October 2023 in Brussels, Belgium.

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Join this event in Hillerød, Denmark on 30 Oct - 3 Nov 2023, to hear from leading international scientists.

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The World Obesity Federation drive global efforts to reduce, prevent and treat obesity.

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This is a current news source on how diets and exercise programs can't beat childhood obesity alone.

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Focusing on immediate fixes such as diet and exercise programs alone won't curb the tide of childhood obesity, according to a new study that for the first time maps the complex pathways that lead to obesity in childhood.

Coordinated by the University of Sydney's Charles Perkins Centre the study finds children whose parents did not complete high school and who live with social disadvantage, were more likely to be affected by overweight or obesity in mid-adolescence. High school completion is a strong indicator of socio-economic status.

These factors were 'on ramps' which flow down to influence the body mass index (BMI) of parents, in turn providing immediate lifestyle impacts (diet, sedentary time) on a child's risk of developing obesity.

Paediatrician Professor Louise Baur of the University of Sydney said the research explains why most current public health policies to prevent childhood obesity have had limited success.

"We tend to ignore the root causes of childhood obesity which include social disadvantage, and of course, this is not something parents or children choose for themselves," said Professor Baur, co-author from the University's Charles Perkins Centre.

"While healthy eating and activity interventions are important, the solutions lie not just in the domain of health departments. We need to see many government departments working together to consider how to make structural changes to reduce social inequality if we want to change Australia's current trajectory."

Other interesting findings from the research include how different drivers of obesity play out at different life stages, particularly the influence of free time activity after the age of eight.

There are also different influences on how free time is spent and influenced for boys versus girls. For boys, more electronic gaming leads to less active free time. For girls, better sleep quality leads to longer sleep time and more active free time.
Obesity in children
Childhood obesity occurs when a child is significantly overweight for their age and height. It can lead to a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, insulin resistance, psychological effects and even premature death.

In Australia, 1 in 4 school-aged children and adolescents are affected by overweight or obesity, with 1 in 12 affected by obesity. It is more common in those living in regional and remote areas, those from lower socioeconomic areas, those from one-parent families and those with a disability.
How was the study conducted?
The study, published in BMC Medicine today, drew on data from 'Growing up in Australia: The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children,' a nationally representative sample of over 10,000 Australian Children.

The team of leading scientists and clinicians -- bringing together the fields of data science, biology, paediatrics and public health -- spent close to two years using state-of-the-art statistical modelling (Bayesian network modelling) and informed analysis to untangle a complex web of on-ramps and causal factors, many of which interplay.

Senior author Professor Sally Cripps of the University of Technology Sydney said the knowledge gained from this study is vital for policy makers moving forward and could not have been achieved without this diverse skill-set.

"This is a truly multidisciplinary piece of research. Data alone is never enough to uncover the complex set of interacting factors which lead to childhood obesity. But by combining the skills of mathematicians and computer scientists with obesity and nutritional experts we have been able to predict and model what has never been clearly articulated before -- showing the complex interplay between multiple upstream, downstream and causal factors, and how these play out over time for children and families," said Cripps, Director of Technology at the Human Technology Institute.

Lead author and statistician Wanchuang Zhu, also of the University of Technology Sydney and an affiliate of the Charles Perkins Centre said: "To our knowledge this is first time anyone has used the advanced statistical network modelling to analyse the complex factors that lead to childhood obesity. It provides us with a much more complete picture."
Key findings

Childhood obesity is largely a by-product of socio-economic status

Parental high school levels (both paternal and maternal) serve as on-ramps to childhood obesity

When children are aged 2 to 4 years the causal pathway is: socio-economic status/parental high school level -> parental BMI -> child BMI

When children are aged 8 to 10 years an additional pathway emerged focused on how children spend their leisure time: parental high school level /socio economic status -> electronic games ->free time activity-> child BMC

The upstream influences on free time activity were different in boys compared with girls.

The strong and independent link between parent's BMIs and childhood BMI suggests a biological link -- high weight runs in families, and this is in part because of shared genes.

The work is a collaboration between scientists and clinicians from the University of Sydney, University of Technology Sydney and CSIRO -- brought together by the Charles Perkins Centre, a research initiative committed to collaborative and multidisciplinary research to tackle obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and related conditions.

"This study is exactly why the Charles Perkins Centre was founded, to bring together people with special skill sets from different academic and clinical backgrounds to find new ways of thinking about and solving the most complex challenges of our time," said Professor Stephen Simpson, Academic Director of the Charles Perkins Centre and Executive Director of Obesity Australia.

The authors express sincere gratitude to the families who contributed their data and acknowledge the generous support of Paul Ramsay Foundation.

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obesity; diet and weight loss; children's health; staying healthy; fitness; nutrition; chronic illness; sleep disorder research

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Diet and exercise programs alone won't tackle childhood obesity: Childhood obesity is complex and requires complex solutions

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Focusing on immediate fixes such as diet and exercise programs alone won't curb the tide of childhood obesity, according to a new study that for the first time maps the complex pathways that lead to obesity in childhood.

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This is a peer reviewed article showing the data within case studies on the effects of obesity with correlation to Covid-19.

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Evidence shows that the impact of COVID-19 tends to be more serious in specific vulnerable groups, including people living with obesity. Furthermore, the pandemic also seems to have a number of indirect repercussions including on eating behaviour patterns among people with obesity. The objective of this study was "to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on patronage to unhealthy eating establishments in populations with obesity."

These researchers combined GPS data with known obesity rates to determine how many people with obesity entered unhealthy restaurants during the COVID-19 pandemic (December 2019- April 2020). Prior to lockdowns, more people in areas with high obesity rates entered fast food restaurants; in March, fewer people did across all areas; however, the numbers of patrons steadily increased during April, at a faster rate in areas with higher obesity rates. While informative, a number of limitations were observed, including the fact that not all consumers exactly match the demographics of the area they live in and that more variables may contribute to restaurant traffic than accounted for here. Read the full study here.

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Data and case studies | World Obesity Federation

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Evidence shows that the impact of COVID-19 tends to be more serious in specific vulnerable groups, including people living with obesity. Furthermore, the pandemic also seems to have a number of indirect repercussions including on eating behaviour patterns among people with obesity.

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This is a peer reviewed case study on a teenage boy fighting obesity.

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Jason, 15-year-old white male

Jason was a 15-year-old white male who lived with his mother and niece. He expressed a desire to be a healthier weight, but was having difficulty with managing his weight and had not been successful in a general weight management program. His body mass index (BMI) was at the 98th percentile for his age and gender. Jason's specific concerns included low motivation to change eating and activity behaviors, difficulty resisting cravings for less healthy foods, and lack of social support around weight loss from his family and friends.

Given these concerns, Jason's psychologist focused on two areas during his brief treatment. The first was on improving Jason's eating behaviors by addressing his low motivation, reducing cravings and binge eating, and improving family communication around eating. The second area of focus was on improving his physical activity by increasing opportunities for activities with friends and family. Jason was the primary participant in treatment because of his desire to take greater ownership of his own health and behaviors. This was considered appropriate by the psychologist given his age and developmental stage.

The initial target of therapy was improving Jason's motivation to make changes. He believed that making changes would be difficult, stressful, and not necessarily effective. However, Jason also said that he wanted to make changes to his weight and health in order to increase his self-esteem and feel more comfortable around his friends who did not struggle with their weight. Jason's psychologist used motivational interviewing techniques to draw attention to the discrepancy between Jason's stated goals and his ambivalence around related behavior change. Addressing these concerns at the start enabled Jason to make progress on his other treatment goals as his motivation increased.

Social support around making behavior change was difficult, given that Jason's friends did not experience difficulties with their weight, and their social activities often centered on food. To address these concerns, Jason learned how to plan ahead of social activities, specifically by identifying healthier options and appropriate portion sizes at the restaurants his friends typically frequented. Jason also developed strategies for feeling included while making choices more in line with his health goals. In addition, he determined that his friends enjoyed some activities that involved physical activity (walking on a trail at a nearby park, for example) that he could suggest without referencing his health or weight loss goals. Further, Jason's psychologist used cognitive behavioral strategies to target Jason's negative self-image, which developed in response to his friends' focus on appearance and their seeming lack of difficulty with weight.

Jason's relationship with his mother was also a barrier to making changes to his health behaviors. His mother was included in a few of the sessions in order to address their communication difficulties and increase Jason's support from his family. During these sessions, Jason and his mother discussed common triggers of arguments about food. For example, Jason's mother reported that she "couldn't help" but make comments to Jason about making good choices when going out with friends. Jason noted that he often responded by eating "to spite" his mother. The psychologist helped Jason and his mother develop and practice new communication strategies related to food and exercise topics. These strategies included Jason giving his mother concrete suggestions about how she could provide needed support, such as buying healthful foods at the market and helping plan family activities that included physical activity.

Recognizing that inappropriate dieting has been linked to the development of eating disorders, the psychologist wanted to address binge and emotional eating and establish healthier coping patterns. The psychologist provided psychoeducation about food cravings and binge eating. The psychologist also used mindfulness strategies, such as increasing Jason's attention to his physical sensations, to illustrate key differences between craving and hunger. The psychologist conducted two in vivo food exposure sessions in which Jason brought a frequently-craved snack and then was guided through a mindfulness activity.

As their sessions progressed, Jason reported paying more attention to his internal hunger, craving, and fullness cues. He became aware of high-risk time periods for losing control over eating, such as being hungry and stressed. Jason began to track his moods and eating behaviors, specifically around binge eating, in order to identify binge triggers and use his new cognitive behavioral skills to manage his emotions without the use of food. Pre-planned healthful meals and small snacks also helped prevent him from becoming overly hungry.

Jason was able to improve his motivation, achieve behavioral goals through increased social support and communication, and address problematic areas of cravings and binge eating. Working with the psychologist, his BMI began to decline. He then focused his efforts on interventions managed by other members of the multidisciplinary team.

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Jason, 15-year-old white male Jason was a 15-year-old white male who lived with his mother and niece. He expressed a desire to be a healthier weight, but was having difficulty with managing his weight and had not been successful in a general weight management program.

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This is a current news source talking about the effects of obesity on health.

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Obesity: Risk factors, complications, and strategies for sustainable long‐term weight management

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The aims of this article are to review the effects of obesity on health and well‐being and the evidence indicating they can be ameliorated by weight loss, and consider weight‐management strategies that may help patients achieve and maintain…

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This article goes in depth of a case study done to show the correlation of obesity and the relationship between body mass index and body fat.

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national center for biotechnology information

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Prevalence of obesity and the relationship between the body mass index and body fat: cross-sectional, population-based data - PubMed

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As the BMI does not account for differences in body composition, we suggest that gender- and age-specific thresholds should be considered when the BMI is used to indicate adiposity.

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This is a video from the DW documentary group discussing the future of obesity worldwide. They predict that by 2030, half of the world's population will be overweight or obese.

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Obesity and corporate greed | DW Documentary

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This is a video from the CDC discussing the several factors that have gone into the increasing total of obesity cases in the United States. They also speak on how different communities are taking initiative to try to reduce and prevent obesity.

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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)