World Obesity Day: Women are more affected by social stigma associated with being overweight

The devastating consequences of obesity therefore affect many organ systems, which makes it particularly difficult to develop complex, patient-tailored therapies that require the cooperation of several disciplines. This year, the international campaign related to World Obesity Day focuses on the role of healthcare systems, governments, food chains, the media, and the social environment, which greatly influence the struggle of people living with obesity with extra pounds. In addition, the importance of prevention cannot be emphasized enough, as we can reduce the health risks of obesity by reducing body weight by as little as 5%.

The European Commission recently published a new report on cancer, according to which Hungary has the highest rate of cancer deaths per capita, citing the increasing trend of obesity as the main reason, along with alcohol consumption and smoking. The numbers are indeed not favorable: more than 5.5 million people in our country are overweight, while nearly 24% of Hungarians are obese – compared to 20.6% in 2014. The problem is of course global, as estimates suggest that by 2035, every fourth inhabitant of the Earth will be affected by obesity, and childhood obesity will show a staggering 100% increase compared to 2020. In connection with the World Obesity Day on March 4, Lilly Hungária Kft. organized a roundtable discussion in collaboration with Semmelweis University, where renowned experts explored this complex medical challenge that requires a professional medical approach.

“It is worth noting that it is often not even black and white about the exact criteria used to define obesity, and in addition, patients’ environments often criticize them on this issue. In general, we consider a person to be overweight if their body mass index (BMI) is above 25 kg/m², and above 30 kg/m² we can already speak of obesity. However, waist circumference, for example, must also be taken into account, which is used to assess abdominal fat. Behind the numbers, among others, there may be genetic, environmental, physiological, lifestyle, and even cultural factors, meaning the problem is much more complex than we previously thought”

– emphasized at the event Prof. Dr. J. Róbert Bedros, internist-obesitologist, director general of the Szent Imre University Teaching Hospital and founder-president of the Hungarian Obesity and Movement Therapy Society (MOMOT), as well as author and editor-in-chief of the university textbook Clinical Obesity.