Global Obesity Coalition hosts ‘Obesity & Youth’ webinar on WOD 2024
Monday, 4 March 2024
This World Obesity Day, the Global Obesity Coalition - World Obesity Federation, UNICEF and WHO - hosted a youth-led webinar to talk about 'Obesity & Youth: Young people catalysing change'.
Overweight and obesity affect around 37 million children under 5 globally, and an additional 340 million children and adolescents aged 5-19 – 75% of who live in low- and middle-income countries.
World Obesity Day is a unified day of action that calls for a cohesive, cross-sector response to the obesity crisis. For World Obesity Day 2024, the Global Obesity Coalition – consisting of UNICEF, WHO, and the World Obesity Federation – hosted a global youth-led webinar to unlock conversations around how this topic affects the lives of young people around the world and the concrete change they are both leading and demanding.
This global event brought together almost 300 participants from around the world.
The dymanic and interactive event kicked off with a welcome from the event Chair, Pierre (Kevin) Cooke, Jr., SUN Lead Group Member and HCC Technical Advisor. This was followed by a rapid-fire Q&A session with WHO Youth Council member, Ishu Kataria, and WHO Director of Nutrition and Food Safety, Francesco Branca.
We then listened to a special message from Pau Gasol, NBA All-star, UNICEF Ambassador & Global Champion for Nutrition and Zero Childhood Obesity, and President of the Gasol Foundation.
The final session of the webinar was a brilliant discussion with our global youth panel:
- Ivha Nkhumeleni - UNICEF Volunteer & Youth Advocate (South Africa)
- Rahaf Abu Mayyaleh - Youth Climate Activist& Founder, 4Health, (Jordan)
- Katrina Anne Tiambeng - Policy Associate, ImagineLaw (Philippines)
- Maria Caprigno - Patient Advocate (USA)
- Luke Hall - Youth Activist, Bite Back 2030 (UK)
- Letitcia Cunha - Nursing Student (Brazil)