Today is 'World Obesity Day'... "Obesity is a Disease, Not a Subject of Blame"

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The 4th is designated as 'World Obesity Day' by the World Obesity Federation. It is a commemorative day established to raise awareness that obesity is a disease and to enhance understanding of its prevention and management methods. Obesity refers to the 'abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that poses a risk to health.' It is a strong risk factor for chronic diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, and it increases the risk of COVID-19 complications.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency announced the obesity prevalence among middle and high school students over the past 10 years in observance of World Obesity Day. The obesity rate among middle and high school students, which was 5.6% in 2011, rose 2.4 times to 13.5% in 2021. For boys, it increased from 6.8% to 17.5%, and for girls, from 4.2% to 9.1%, representing 2.6 times and 2.2 times increases respectively. This means that 1 in 5 boys and 1 in 10 girls are obese. The prevalence of obesity among children and adolescents aged 6 to 18 was 10.2% in the 2010?2012 survey, which increased to 16.2% in the 2019?2021 survey.

According to the World Obesity Federation, obesity arises from various causes including genetics, sleep, diseases, mental health, nutrition, medication, pregnancy, marketing, and healthcare access conditions. This means obesity is not a matter of personal willpower and should not be a subject of blame. However, the 'obesity stigma,' which dismisses obesity as a personal problem caused by 'laziness' or 'greed,' still persists. According to a survey on obesity perception conducted by the Korean Society for the Study of Obesity on World Obesity Day, negative evaluations of obese individuals included ▲being easily noticeable (70%) ▲appearing lazy (58%) ▲seeming to lack willpower and self-control (56%).

The Federation emphasized the need for policy support to create social support and a healthy environment for the prevention and management of obesity on World Obesity Day. Regarding this, Choi Hong-seok, Director of the Chronic Disease Management Division at the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, stated, "Obesity is a risk factor for many chronic diseases, and prevention and management of obesity is the starting point for preventing chronic diseases." He added, "We will work with related ministries to develop measures to stop the increase in obesity prevalence among school-age children and adolescents."