2015
December
World Obesity co-signs letter to Margaret Chan, calling for bold steps on child nutrition
World Obesity has joined a group of NGOs led by the Jamie Oliver Foundation in signing a letter to the Director General of the World Health Organization, Dr Margaret Chan, calling on her to take bold steps on nutrition and urging her to “make the World Health Assembly in 2016 a historic breakthrough moment on the road to the Rio nutrition summit. We believe that such a breakthrough can be achieved if at the WHA all health ministers make specific, measurable, ambitious, reasonable, and time-bound (SMART) commitments to tackle both child obesity and child under-nutrition in their countries and to deliver on the ICN2, SDG, and WHA nutrition targets.” The letter is available here.
November
World Obesity submit detailed comments on the Draft Final Report of the WHO's Commission on Ending Childhood Obesity.
Our response is available here and the draft final report is available here.
October
World Obesity will partner with The Lancet to launch new Obesity Commission
The World Obesity Federation is partnering with the prestigious medical journal The Lancet along with the University of Auckland and the George Washington University, USA, to launch a Lancet Commission on Obesity.
World Obesity launches new policy maps and inequalities maps
With support from the European Commission’s Third Health Programme, World Obesity has added a range of map-based data on obesity disparities related to educational status and household income status, and map-based access to listings of key policy-related documents and actions, including interventions at community level. Details can be found at our Data Resources portal.
SPOTLIGHT Press release - 'where you live can make a fat difference'
26 October, London. Research published as part of the EU-funded project SPOTLIGHT, published in the BMJ Open, finds big differences in physical activity levels and weight status between different neighbourhoods. The full paper is available here
World Obesity's Policy & Prevention chair, Boyd Swinburn, urges Mexico's congress not to reduce sugar tax to 5% for drinks with 5 grams of added sugars per 100ml.
The letter is available here.
World Obesity co-signs letter to WHO regarding conflicts of interest procedures.
The letter is here.
World Obesity Federation launches new award to promote healthy conferences - 12 October
World Obesity Federation has launched its Healthy Venues Award to encourage venues all around the world to support conference organisers, delegates and their staff in making healthier choices and to help minimise the negative health impacts of conference-going, using the opportunity of people stepping outside their routine to nudge them towards healthier choices.
The WHO target to halt the rise in obesity by 2025 will not be met, suggest new figures from World Obesity published ahead of World Obesity Day.
Westernized diets and physical inactivity have been blamed; urgent government action required.
World Obesity Federation press release (here)
Guardian news story (here)
World Obesity Day statistics (here)
For more details about World Obesity Day press coverage see here
August
World Obesity and World Cancer Research Fund International issue a joint response to WHO consultation on the draft clarification and guidance on the inappropriate promotion of foods for infants and young children See here for our response.
June
World Obesity and Deutsche Adipositas Gesellschaft bring Obesity focus to Berlin with Hot Topic Conference 'Dietary Sugars, Obesity & Metabolic Disease Risk'
26 June 2015, Berlin: World Obesity Federation is delighted to be working with Deutsche Adipositas Gesellschaft (DAG) to bring their highly regarded Hot Topic Conference series to Berlin, Germany, 29-30 June. The event will be held at prestigious Ameron Hotel ABION and will focus on Dietary sugars, obesity and metabolic disease risk. Read the full press release here and the German versionhere.
World Obesity respond to the interim report of the WHO Commission on Ending Childhood Obesity (ECHO)
You can see our response here and the report here
May
To combat obesity, let your doctor count your daily steps – Prof. Tim Lobstein
Wearable technology is surging in popularity, now it’s time to let doctors access this data, according to Professor Tim Lobstein, director of policy at the World Obesity Federation.
Industry Promotes Healthy Venues at IMEX - 20th May
20th May 15, Frankfurt: The Scottish Exhibition + Conference Centre (SECC), IMEX and World Obesity underlined their collective support for healthy conferences at IMEX in Frankfurt.
World Obesity to present statement to the 68th World Health Assembly - 18th May
The statement, supported by 11 other civil society groups, calls on member states to endorse the ICN2 outcome documents and endorses the WHO recommendations on sugar.
In collaboration with others we have also produced a short briefing paper to support our calls for a Global Framework Convention to Protect and Promote Healthy Diets. See here
Consumers International's recent study on the public’s awareness of unhealthy diets, also adds to the need for a GFC.
March
World Obesity and Coronary Prevention Group publish new briefing paper on Nutrient Profiling - 13th March
Briefing paper available to download here and the full report here