World Obesity Day 2023
This theme for World Obesity Day 2023 was ‘Changing Perspectives: Let’s Talk About Obesity’. The campaign used conversation and stories to help people correct misconceptions surrounding obesity, acknowledge its complexities, and take effective, collective action.
Changing Perspectives: Let's Talk About Obesity
Obesity is on the rise globally, with 1 billion people predicted to be living with the disease by 2030. Despite the scale of this epidemic, efforts to address it are challenging due to misconceptions about obesity and the role it plays in a person’s health.
Our goal is to change perspectives: to correct misconceptions - our own and others' -, end stigmas and get everybody making the decision to shift from single views to shared strategies.
On 4 March 2023, obesity was put squarely on the global agenda as people and communities around the world marked World Obesity Day.
The World Obesity Day (WOD) 2023 campaign aimed to encourage constructive conversations about obesity that could help key audiences challenge stigmas, taboos and misconceptions, share ideas, and work together to find cross-cutting solutions.
Global engagement
Our 2023 campaign focussed on systemic issues, stigma and the importance of talking about obesity. Key website changes including a dedicated youth page and the 'It's on the cards' interactive deck. We developed a wide range of new assets including conversation cards to make talking about obesity easier for everyone.
In the build up to WOD, we held an online interactive workshop attended by 76 of our members, where they shared plans, ideas and questions.
WOD 2023 saw excellent engagement from obesity groups and, together with World Obesity's accompanying Atlas report, generated record press coverage - achieving its goal to kickstart discussion around the world.
Sharing experiences globally
World Obesity Day is a truly global event that relies on the contributions of hundreds of supporters and organisations worldwide. We were delighted at how many came forward to share their stories and activities: this year saw nearly 150 notices of stories, events, and actions added to the World Obesity Day website.
We also hosted two webinars around World Obesity Day, and co-hosted one in partnership with the WHO and UNICEF.
Here are a few examples of some of the amazing activities that took place around the world on WOD 2023:
World Obesity Federation hosted a SCOPE webinar on child obesity themed '#ChangingPerspectives on child obesity through medical education', featuring a presentation by Dr Marie-Laure Frelut, a leading international expert in paediatric obesity.
World Obesity Federation’s high-level policy event, ‘Changing perspectives and advancing national action’, featured the Director-General of the World Health Organization along with the ministers of health for Egypt and Barbados and other global health leaders.
Leading medical journal The Lancet held a two-day summit in partnership with the World Health Organization, UNICEF and the World Obesity Federation exploring the theme of ‘Childhood obesity: consequences across the life course’.
Australia's Weight Issues Network held an online event creating a safe, inclusive and empowering space for people with lived experience of weight issues.
The country welcomed the first in-person Obesidade em Pauta event after two years of online activities, offering classes for healthcare professionals and people living with obesity. In addition, the Brazilian Panel on Obesity and Instituto Cordial held a World Obesity Day Webinar featuring national and international representatives and the perspectives of people with lived experience of obesity.
The Brazilian Obesity Panel and Instituto Cordial host a World Obesity Day online event
Obesity Canada held the 'Connected 2023 Virtual Conference' helping individuals living with obesity to engage with leading experts in the field of obesity management. Obesity Matters held the 'Your Health Matters Summit' in Brampton bringing together community members, healthcare professionals, educators and influencers to engage in conversation.
The Healthy Caribbean Coalition facilitated key conversations via the youth panel discussion 'Different Voices - One Goal - Youth Perspective on Next Steps for Childhood Obesity in SIDS' and 'Childhood Obesity in the Caribbean - How do we care for the 1 in 3?’ bringing together people with lived experience, advocates and practitioners.
The Rotary District 7030 held a virtual lunch with the District Governor focused on children’s health; youth advocates of the Barbados Childhood Obesity Prevention Coalition wrote to the Prime Minister; and Barbara McGaw of the Heart Foundation of Jamaica wrote an article in The Gleaner.
The Obesity Prevention and Control Society of Chinese Nutrition Society’s (OPCS-CNS) hosted a landmark virtual summit attended by around 20,000 delegates. The event marked the launch of 'The 20 Weight-Loss Recommendations on Healthy Weight Management for Chinese Residents' report, developed by OPCS-CNS and multidisciplinary experts as part of WOD 23 initiatives and the Healthy China campaign.
In addition, the 'School Students Obesity Prevention and Control in Liaoning Province' event saw more than 400,000 primary and secondary school students watching a live broadcast.
World Obesity Day 2023 in China: Summit and local activities
The Asociación Salvadoreña de Obesidad (ASOBE) marked a hugely successful World Obesity Day campaign with a walkathon and community dance-along.
42 national events in 19 countries were organised for World Obesity Day in Europe (coordinated this year by ECPO) and 36 countries shared WOD content on social media. The activity generated more than 100 high-profile media results online, in the press, and on radio and TV. WONCA and EASO held a joint educational webinar for medical professionals with over 500 registrations.
The BeActive Foundation Ghana organised a 10km health walk in Aburi, Ghana, during which members of the Foundation distributed fliers on the root causes of obesity and basic facts on obesity to the public.
Kenya's Stowelink Foundation held a townhall style conversation with 10 community youth groups as well as a vibrant social media campaign.
The country’s leading national professional organisations signed up to an alliance. Major monuments were illuminated in blue in Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey to mark the WOD campaign. The Mexican social media hashtag, #IntercambiandoPerspectivas, received over 8.5m impressions from 6 February to 6 March. In addition to illuminating Mexico, the Mexican Society of Obesity (SMO) also held two academic sessions each attended by over 2,000 people, a Facebook Live discussion forum which attracted 3,400 attendees, a virtual race and a walk.
Sociedad Mexicana de Obesidad (SMO) hosts a variety of events for World Obesity Day
The Obesity Society of Nigeria (TOSN) carried out several significant media appearances on state channels, with contributions from its professionals on the need to #ChangePerspectives on obesity and tackling increasing childhood obesity incidence rates.
The Obesity Society of Nigeria (TOSN) in the media on World Obesity Day
Nutrition students at the Nutrition Department, Faculty of Chemical Sciences, National University of Asunción, used World Obesity Day resources to learn about obesity and share their stories and ideas.
Singapore Medical Association published a special edition of the Singapore Medical Journal focused on obesity, strengthening the case for obesity as a national health priority.
The Gasol Foundation, Spain, encouraged a range of activities and conversations to support children's health, in local groups and online.
Obesity UK launched a podcast to mark World Obesity Day, focusing on peer support for patients and researchers. Elsewhere, healthcare professionals at Musgrove Park Hospital, UK, held an event to encourage colleagues, patients and visitors to talk to their healthcare professionals about obesity using the conversation cards.
“Once we have a greater understanding of this, we will be able to provide our patients with the care they deserve and speed up access to the services they sometimes are denied,” – attendee at Musgrove Park Hospital event.
In the USA, Obesity Action Coalition (OAC) hosted its annual Obesity Care Week to coincide with World Obesity Day. The week-long event was supported by a record 134 Champion organisations across the globe, with participants taking meaningful action by writing to local, state, and federal decision-makers urging them to prioritise obesity care and stop weight bias.
OAC hosts Obesity Care Week to coincide with World Obesity Day
World Obesity Day 2023 Impact Highlights:
World Obesity Day 2024 is coming soon!
World Obesity Day 2024 will take place on 4 March 2024.
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