Message from Dr. Norman Rosenblum on World Obesity Day

On March 4th, we recognize World Obesity Day as an opportunity to highlight the environmental and medical factors that contribute to high obesity rates. The day is also a chance to reflect on what we can all do to end the stigma around obesity. Obesity rates globally have nearly tripled since 1975 and have increased almost five times in children and adolescents, affecting people of all ages from all social groups in both developed and developing countries^{Footnote 1}. Obesity is a major risk factor for a range of non-communicable diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension and stroke, and various forms of cancer.

This year's campaign theme is 'Let's Talk About Obesity And...', which calls us to engage in cross-cutting conversations around health, our world, and youth to tackle this complex chronic disease. The topic of health addresses risk factors and other diseases linked to obesity, including the often-overlooked implications of mental health, to reduce stigma and improve patient-clinician conversations. Next, we should consider how our environment, including climate, air quality, and food availability, influences our behaviour and contributes to high obesity rates. Finally, we would benefit from engaging with youth to understand perspectives on obesity issues as they are often the most impacted by unhealthy and unsustainable environments.

INMD works alongside committed partners such as Obesity Canada to support research that aims to improve obesity care and research capacity. For example, INMD provides funding support for the Health Research Training Platform entitled Maximize your Research on Obesity and Diabetes (myROaD): Canada-wide training and mentoring platform from molecules to communities, which brings together regional research teams to create Canada's largest integrated, transdisciplinary training and mentoring asset in the field of obesity and diabetes. Several CIHR-funded researchers are also looking at improving the care of individuals in clinical settings and developing effective prevention programs to establish interventions at the community and population health level.

Addressing the complexities of obesity requires a multifaceted approach that begins with cross-cutting conversations. We must continue to support and cultivate research that understands and accounts for the implications of mental health and other associated comorbidities, environmental sustainability, and youth perspective to advance knowledge in the field of obesity.

Date modified:

2024-03-04