Talk isn’t Cheap When we Consider the Human Costs of Obesity Stigma

To live with a disease without the psychological security to ask for help is a heartbreaking reality that no one should endure. Yet, this is the reality of many people who suffer with #obesity. This World Obesity Day and aligned to the World Obesity Federations’ Changing Perceptions: #LetsTalkAboutObesity campaign, I’m sharing why I believe our voices can be a driving force for change.

 Obesity was classified as a disease in 1948. Yet societal stigma surrounding obesity remains a significant disabler of the fight against obesity. In fact, obesity disease prevention, treatment, and recovery rates are going in the wrong direction. Whilst other similarly prevalent diseases are declining, rates of obesity and associated comorbidities continue to rise exponentially. It is estimated that 1.9 billion people around the world will be living with obesity in 2035, equating to 1 in 4. This means that 25% of society will sadly have a greater risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and some cancers. And what about the invisible but deeply significant psychological impacts and how this affects quality of life?

 We can’t wait any longer to steer dialogues to center on the opportunity to change lives, reduce comorbidities, and the potential cost savings by preventing chronic comorbidity. In 2035, the economic cost of overweight and obesity will be an estimated 4.32 trillion. But projections don’t account for change. And I believe we CAN drive change through dialogue.

I hope by opening productive conversation channels, we can move towards a society where those living with obesity can feel confident in taking action to combat their disease. Just as anyone with any disease can and should, approaching a healthcare professional for help is the best approach to learn more about the disease and available treatment options. This can be a potentially daunting and intimidating experience. Stigma equating to systemic bias against people living with obesity is an unacceptable norm today when the public fallback position is to blame and shame rather than listen and learn. The multifactual causes of obesity are not widely known, for example that 40-70% of obesity can be attributed to genetic predisposition.

Talk is not cheap when productive conversation can serve as the first step to stamp out stigma surrounding obesity. Join me in starting a conversation today.

Visit https://www.worldobesityday.org/ to learn more about how we can harness the power of conversation and stories so that together we can correct misconceptions surrounding obesity and take effective, collective action.

Healthcare professionals can visit our Ethicon, Inc. Bariatric Surgery page https://www.jnjmedtech.com/en-EMEA/specialty/bariatric-surgery to learn more about how we are advancing surgical care to enable patients to live longer, more fulfilling lives.