European Association for the Study of Obesity (EASO) welcomes the European Commission’s publication of a new dedicated brief on primary prevention of obesity published on World Obesity Day Europe, 4 March 2021.
This follows on from the prioritisation of Obesity and Cancer as the two priority NCDs within the Strategic Foresight Report: Charting the course towards a more resilient Europe and related process (published 9 September 2020).
EASO is highly encouraged by the categorisation of obesity as a major non-communicable disease by the Commission as well as a scientifically accurate statement of definition:
“Pre-obesity (overweight) and obesity are medical conditions marked by an abnormal and/or excessive accumulation of body fat that presents a risk to health ( WHO 2019 ). Obesity is a chronic relapsing disease, which in turn acts as a gateway to a range of other non-communicable diseases, such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and cancer.”
SOURCE: Obesity prevention | Knowledge for policy (europa.eu
EASO President, Dr Nathalie Farpour-Lambert states, “It is truly a milestone for Europeans either at risk of or having already developed obesity to be acknowledged as living with a chronic disease.” She continues; “Although primary prevention is the ideal, the sad fact is that almost 60% of the EU population already lives with pe-obesity or obesity. The publication of the European Commission’s Obesity Prevention Brief therefore represents the start of a collaborative drive to effectively address obesity as a chronic relapsing disease that embraces policy interventions that can go beyond primary prevention.”
EASO, representing the voice of the obesity scientific, clinical and patient communities across 36 countries (WHO Europe), calls on the EU institutions, national and regional administrations to begin evaluating existing and future policies in light of this development and see how they can be meaningfully leveraged to include the treatment and long-term management of obesity as with other major NCDs.
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For further information, please contact:
Jacqueline Bowman-Busato
EASO EU Policy Lead
Jbowman@easo.org | +32 468 222 386
About EASO www.easo.org | @EASOobesity
Established in 1986, EASO is a federation of professional membership associations from 36 countries, with a network of over 130 specialist Collaborating Centres for Obesity Management across the region. EASO’s mission is to reduce the burden of unhealthy weight, and it promotes action through collaboration in research, education and policy. EASO is in official relations with the WHO Regional Office for Europe, and represents scientists, health care practitioners, physicians, public health experts and patients.