Swiss
Obesity must be recognized as a disease in itself
The Swiss Federation against Obesity calls for obesity to be included as a disease in its own right during the next revision of the “non-communicable diseases” strategy.
published
In Switzerland, 12% of men and 10% of women are obese (illustrative image).
France Press agency
On the occasion of World Obesity Day, which “aims to change the perception of the disease”, the Swiss Obesity Federation has published a series of recommendations. In a press release published on Saturday, she made it clear that she wants in particular to “integrate chronic obesity into the ‘non-communicable disease’ health policy strategy (Non-Communicable Disease Strategy) and to take more targeted information measures.”
Currently, obesity is only a risk factor for non-communicable diseases in the 2021-2024 NCD Strategy, the press release notes. The Alliance believes that “this classification contributes significantly to the fact that there are not enough targeted measures today to prevent and reduce obesity.”
A rise in obesity
However, as he recalls, “the proportion of obese people in Switzerland doubled between 1992 and 2017”: now 12% of men and 10% of women suffer from it. According to the forecasts of the World Health Organization (WHO), these percentages will reach 16% for both sexes by 2030.
Faced with these facts, the Swiss Obesity Alliance regrets that “society and politics still attach too little importance to this disease” and believes that “a paradigm shift is necessary for this”. “The policy should encourage the reduction of stigma for the people involved as well as the promotion of prevention measures at all ages,” announced the head of policy, Doris Fisher-Tychler.
People who are obese are regularly stigmatized in Switzerland. This often leads to a deterioration in their health and can have serious consequences. The people involved often suffer from depression that can reach suicidal thoughts, ”explains Doris Fischer Teschler. Faced with a lack of understanding of the seriousness and complexity of this disease, the Swiss Alliance Against Obesity is committed to “reducing the stigmatization of the people concerned”.
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