World Obesity Day (WOD) is annually observed across the globe on 4th March to create awareness about the risks of obesity and to promote practical solutions to end the global obesity crisis.
- 4th March 2024 marks the observance of the 10th WOD.
- The campaign theme of WOD 2024 is ‘Let’s Talk About Obesity And…’.
Background:
i.In 2015, the World Obesity Federation (World Obesity), a non-profit organisation(NGO), established WOD as an annual campaign with the goal of stimulating and supporting practical actions thereby helping people to achieve and maintain a healthy weight.
- Initially, World Obesity Day was observed on 11th October.
ii.The first ever WOD was observed on 11th October 2015.
iii.Since 2020, the date of WOD has been changed from 11th October to 4th of March.
- The new World Obesity Day on March 4, 2020, was launched to call for a global response to this critical challenge.
What is Obesity?
i.Overweight and obesity are defined as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that presents a health risk.
- A Body Mass Index (BMI) of over 25 is considered overweight, and over 30 is obese.
ii.The fundamental cause of obesity and overweight is an energy imbalance between calories consumed and calories expended.
Significance:
i.WOD is a unified day of action that calls for a cohesive, cross-sector response to the obesity crisis.
ii.According to WHO, obesity affects around 37 million children under 5 globally, and over 390 million adolescents (aged 5–19 years)
iii.Out of this, around three-fourths of the adolescents living in low- and middle-income countries.
WOD Global Advisory Group:
Since 2021, World Obesity has worked with a Global Advisory Group to design, refine, and deliver the World Obesity Day campaigns and ensure they are globally representative and inclusive.
Events:
i.Global Obesity Coalition – consisting of WHO, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Obesity Federation hosted a global youth-led webinar to indicate how obesity affects the lives of young people around the world.
ii.The event was closely observed by United Nations (UN) agencies, academia, civil society, and governments across the globe.
About World Obesity Federation:
The World Obesity Federation (formerly the International Association for the Study of Obesity and the International Obesity Task Force), is the only global organisation focused exclusively on obesity.
President – Louise Baur
Headquarters – London, United Kingdom (UK)
Established in – 1967
