Why a Day for Obesity?

Obesity remains widely misunderstood; primarily because many people still attribute this disease to be the consequence of personal choices. Unfortunately, such (mis)beliefs can lead to weight-related stigma, bias, and discrimination—harmful, widespread attitudes, stereotypes, and actions that have negative impacts at both individual and societal levels.

What’s the Story?

Obesity has been defined as a chronic, complex, and multi-faceted disease in which excessive body fat (adiposity) impairs health. World Obesity Day 2025, held on March 4^th, calls for global action by shifting the focus from the individual to the systems (e.g., environmental, sociocultural, political, economic) that are contributing to the growing rates of obesity worldwide.

The International Society for Physical Activity and Health (ISPAH) supports World Obesity Day 2025 in its global efforts to promote physical activity and health, and more specifically, through the Eight Investments That Work for Physical Activity – actionable strategies to promote healthier communities through embedding physical activity in national and subnational policies.

Overweight and Obesity are Global Concerns

• Globally, it is estimated that approximately 1 in 8 people were living with obesity in 2022
• The global prevalence of obesity among adults has doubled since 1990; as of 2022, approximately 16% of adults were living with obesity
• The global prevalence of pediatric obesity has also increased, with an estimated 8.5% of children and adolescents living with obesity in 2023
• Obesity stigma is a global concern; while weight-related stigma has been widely acknowledged as a significant health challenge in the global north, it is now also considered an emerging issue in the global south

Systemic Change – When and How?

• Now: We know that downstream interventions tend to have limited effectiveness for the prevention and treatment of obesity. There is an urgent need to move beyond individual-level obesity approaches (including the common “eat less, move more” narrative), to a systems-based approach to tackle this global challenge.
• Evidence-based action: ISPAH’s Eight Investments offer practical, research-based strategies to increase physical activity levels globally. Indeed, physical activity is important for all individuals, including those living with obesity. Given that there are hundreds of complex and intertwining factors that contribute to the prevalence of obesity – and that the benefits of physical activity for individuals with obesity extend beyond weight loss—evidence-based action that extends beyond a focus on individual determinants and behaviours is essential.
• Ensuring that health equity is a priority: Obesity disproportionately affects marginalized populations; as such, targeting the many intersecting and systemic factors that lead to disparities in obesity prevalence is imperative.

Take-Home Messages

• Systems change is key: Effectively addressing obesity requires a shift from individual responsibility and blame to comprehensive systemic approaches and solutions.
• Advancing health equity is vital: Focusing on systems changes and adopting a health equity lens can lead to the development of more equitable and inclusive solutions and approaches for the treatment and prevention of obesity.
• Combatting obesity stigma is a global priority: A recent position statement by the World Obesity Federation outlined several evidence-based recommendations to combat weight stigma and its harmful impacts on a global scale.
• Cross-sector collaboration is essential: Governments, policy-makers, healthcare providers, urban planners, educators, researchers, and communities must work together to address obesity and develop evidence on the real-world application of systems approaches to obesity treatment and prevention.

World Obesity Day 2025 represents a call to action to “put a spotlight” on obesity as a global health challenge, which requires a focus on the many systems and factors that influence this chronic disease. Shifting our focus from individual responsibility to systemic change, globally and guided by a health equity lens, is critical to addressing obesity and obesity disparities, and to combatting weight-related stigma. Only by working together to tackle these structural barriers can we create a future where better health is more attainable for all.

Authored by: