2023 in review: Science & Data

In the dynamic landscape of global health, the Global Obesity Observatory (GOO) has emerged as a vital resource for understanding the complexities and evolving patterns of obesity worldwide.

2023 was a year of significant progress and increased engagement, and marked a significant phase in the Observatory's journey, characterised by major developments and a notable surge in its global usage.

Key development areas:

The Observatory's commitment to providing comprehensive and up-to-date data on obesity was evident in several key areas this year:

• Comprehensive global data updates: The GOO expanded its repository with extensive data on obesity prevalence, delving into the drivers and co-morbidities associated with this global health challenge. This effort not only broadened the understanding of obesity's impact but also provided critical insights for policymakers and health professionals.
• Enhanced presentation maps: Recognising the power of visual data representation, the GOO updated its key presentation maps. These resources, available for download, serve as essential tools for educators, researchers, and public health advocates, offering a clear visual narrative of obesity trends across different regions.
• Launch of cross-national survey pages: In a significant move to foster comparative research and policy analysis, the GOO launched dedicated pages for several cross-national surveys. These include the 'Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative (COSI)’, 'STEPwise (STEPS)’, 'Global School-based Student Health Survey', 'EUROSTAT', and 'Demographic Health Survey' surveys. We first launched this new section early in 2023 with our WHO COSI partners. Due to the popularity of the pages, we expanded this area to include the additional surveys. These survey pages now sit in the Top 10 most viewed pages on the Observatory!

The top 10 countries engaging with the GOO's resources were the USA, UK, Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, Malaysia, Germany, the Netherlands, and Mexico. This diverse geographic spread of users showcases the global nature of obesity as a pressing health issue and the widespread need for accessible, high-quality data.

The Global Obesity Observatory continues to stand at the forefront of obesity research and data dissemination, playing a crucial role in shaping global health responses to this ever-evolving challenge.

Coming up in 2024

We have three major updates planned for 2024:

Atlas data portal page

The World Obesity Atlases are becoming increasingly popular and we are routinely asked for access to the underlying data. To support our members and stakeholders in accessing this data, we are working on a feature that will allow you to view and download all our Atlas data in one place.

Cross-national survey page: Phase 3

We will be working to further develop the cross-national survey section to allow you to explore obesity prevalence across countries by age, education, and socio-economic status.

Updating our most popular page!

The most popular page on the Global Obesity Observatory is the rankings page. This page displays the comprehensive 2016 NCD RisC data. Updates to this NCD RisC data are imminent and we will apply relevant changes to our rankings page, most likely with 2022 data. Watch this space!