WHO Consultation on Recommendations for the prevention and Management of Obesity
Over the last few years as key priority for our advocacy has been to secure a resolution on obesity to help elevate obesity on the global policy agenda and help secure strong policies for the prevention, management and treatment of obesity.
World Obesity Federation has had opportunity to work with WHO to support the drafting of Recommendations for the prevention and Management of Obesity over the lifecourse, including potential targets, which is now available for public consultation as a discussion document. This report was developed following the approval of the Diabetes Resolution during the last World Health Assembly with one of the recommendations requesting the Director-General to develop “recommendations to strengthen and monitor diabetes responses within national noncommunicable disease programmes, and recommendations for the prevention and management of obesity over the life course including considering the potential development of targets in this regard.”
However, there are a number of key areas where the document could be improved, including but not limited to
- Ensuring people first language throughout
- A greater emphasis on engaging PLWO In a meaningful way and putting at the centre of all policy
- Improving the recommendations on health care provision for adults
- Additional targets to help monitor national implementation
- The number of countries which have a national obesity plan for both children and adults, covering management and prevention
- The number of health professionals who have received specific training in obesity science and weight management services
- The addition of a commitment to develop an accountability monitoring framework
- Encouraging Member States and WHO to adopt the ROOTS framework principles in their approach to defining, understanding and addressing obesity
We are pleased to see that a number of our key recommendations have been incorporated into the discussion document. These included:
- Defining obesity as a complex multifactorial disease
- References to the stigma and bias experienced by people living with obesity
- Recognition of the need to prevent and manage obesity throughout the lifecourse
- Recommendations for improving the training of HCPs in obesity management
- Recommendations for obesity to be included in UHC packages, and managed through multidisciplinary teams
However, there are a number of key areas where the document could be improved, including but not limited to
- Ensuring people first language throughout
- A greater emphasis on engaging PLWO In a meaningful way and putting at the centre of all policy
- Improving the recommendations on health care provision for adults
- Additional targets to help monitor national implementation
- The number of countries which have a national obesity plan for both children and adults, covering management and prevention
- The number of health professionals who have received specific training in obesity science and weight management services
- The addition of a commitment to develop an accountability monitoring framework
- Encouraging Member States and WHO to adopt the ROOTS framework principles in their approach to defining, understanding and addressing obesity
There will likely be a number of changes to the document following the consultation, and we will need a strong coordinated effort to help ensure the positive elements are retained and to help incorporate some of the omissions before it is presented at the WHO Executive Board in January 2022.
Planned timeline for contributing to collective response
| Date | Action |
|---|---|
| Friday 20th August | WOF members contacted for first round of comments |
| Tuesday 31st August | WHO holds consultation with Member States |
| Wednesday 1st September | Deadline for first round member comments |
| Friday 3rd September | WHO consultation with non-state actors |
| Monday 6th September | WOF members contacted for comments on draft response |
| Friday 10th September | Deadline for second round member comments |
| Tuesday 14th September | WOF to circulate final response |
| Friday 17th September | Deadline for submitting comments |
What can you do?
- Contact your government and/or WHO Mission representatives and encourage their support of the document ahead of the Member State consultation on 31st August
- Review the draft briefing document and send any comments you would like us to incorporate into our response by 2nd September. Please send comments to Margot Neveux mneveux@worldobesity.org. We will incorporate comments and circulate a draft for further review the following week.
- Submit your own response or use the template we will provide in due course following receipt of comments from our Members.
Further details of the consultation can be found here. Please note the final deadline for submitting responses directly to WHO is Friday 17th September 2021.
Congratulations to everyone who has been involved in this process so far, this is an important moment for global obesity policy and we look forward to seeing the final documents, next steps and most importantly progress for obesity policy action globally.
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