'Tackling Obesity Together' on European Obesity Day 20th May 2017

European Obesity Day (EOD) aims to raise awareness and increase knowledge about obesity and the many other diseases on which it impacts, predominantly Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and even some cancers.

Obesity is widely acknowledged as a 21^st century epidemic that is sweeping across Europe and indeed across the globe. For instance, 51% of the Swedish population (aged 16?84) are either overweight or obese, according to 2017 figures from a new Public Health Agency report ? this is up from 47% a decade ago.

Overweight and obesity are defined as abnormal or excessive accumulation of fat that may impair health, arising from an imbalance between calories consumed and calories expended. The population has shown a growing propensity to follow a fat-rich diet whilst becoming increasingly sedentary in lifestyle: it is reckoned that the average European spends 5 hours a day sitting down. Childhood obesity is on the rise in Europe. Overweight children in their second decade of life are strongly expected to carry obesity into adulthood, particularly if they have obese parents.

The health profession recognises the stigma experienced by patients which may discourage many of them from seeking medical advice. The EOD motto ‘Tackling Obesity Together’ encourages those at risk to avoid weight gain, becoming overweight and developing obesity by keeping track of their Body Mass Index (BMI) and waist circumference, following a balanced healthy diet, and increasing their physical activity. The identification and prevention of obesity in the first instance and making treatment available thereafter, are the key messages of the EOD campaign to tackle this major public health concern.