Eight of the top ten causes of death are related to obesity! Together, it is easy to control your weight and lose weight

Don’t take obesity problem lightly! Eight of the top ten causes of death among Taiwanese in 2019 are related to obesity! Studies have also shown that obese patients have more than seven times the risk of developing diabetes compared to those with a healthy weight. The World Health Organization has long regarded obesity as a chronic disease. According to the World Obesity Federation, the number of overweight or obese people in the world will increase from 2 billion in 2014 to 2.7 billion in 2025, which has become a current problem and challenge facing the world.

Eight of the top ten causes of death among Taiwanese in 2019 are related to obesity! Studies have also shown that obese patients have more than seven times the risk of developing diabetes compared to those with a healthy weight. The World Health Organization has long regarded obesity as a chronic disease.

On the eve of World Obesity Day on March 4, the National Health Administration and the Taiwan Obesity Medical Association have joined hands to echo this year's World Obesity Federation's theme of "Every Body needs Everybody", hoping to reduce discrimination and stigmatization against those who need weight management, understand the problem from the root, provide support and assistance, and build a happier and healthier life.

Cross-domain collaboration, seeking innovation to build a supportive environment for weight management

Chia Shu-li, Acting Director of the National Health Administration, said: "A healthy body shape is the cornerstone of the health of the people of Taiwan, so the government continues to promote 'raising awareness, encouraging initiatives, improving policies, and sharing resources'. We hope that through good policies, a supportive environment of government/civilian initiatives, and a complete care strategy, we can raise people's awareness of weight management, be willing to accept and respect everyone, and have a healthy body shape together, so that we can live a better and healthier life. This is consistent with the goals of the World Obesity Federation."

To protect the health of the people, the National Health Administration takes into account the nutritional needs of each life cycle, and combines different fields such as communities, schools, and workplaces, and cooperates with the Ministry of Education, the Council of Agriculture, the Ministry of Labor and other cross-departmental organizations to jointly establish relevant policies and regulations, resource platforms, support networks, and intervention programs to enhance public awareness and create a supportive environment. It is important to use the people-oriented spirit of design thinking to discover problems and design solutions and intervention plans accordingly. For example, it cooperates with the Ministry of Education to promote "Health Promotion Kindergartens" to increase the proportion of balanced diets for young children, improve the nutrition and health awareness of parents and teachers, and incorporate "healthy postures" into life skills teaching materials in health promotion schools to enhance the health awareness of schoolchildren.

In addition to patients actively adjusting their lifestyles, weight management can also involve the active assistance of medical professionals and the support of the general public through the support system and resource network established by the government, so that people will no longer have to lose weight alone when facing obesity control.

According to the WHO definition of obesity prevalence, the obesity prevalence rate among children and adolescents aged 5-19 in Taiwan dropped from 11.4% in 2015-2018 to 11.2% in 2016-2019. Compared with APEC countries, the country dropped from 10th to 11th, and from 4th to 5th among APEC Asian countries4.

Nearly 70% of patients expect professional assistance to eliminate discrimination and positively support weight management

According to the results of a large international survey, nearly 70% of obese patients want their doctors to discuss their weight with them. However, when weight is not discussed between doctors and patients, the vast majority of doctors believe that patients have no interest in weight control. This shows that there is a huge gap in the cognition between doctors and patients.

Yang Yiqing, chairman of the Taiwan Obesity Medicine Association, said that Taiwan's survey also found similar situations. Most people believe that managing weight is their personal responsibility, or they are worried about being discriminated against or labeled, and do not want to seek help from others. In fact, the literature has confirmed that if professional medical assistance is involved and the most suitable method is found based on the patient's physical and mental condition and the root cause, it will be more effective than controlling weight by oneself.

The World Obesity Federation broke tradition by reversing the spelling of "Obesity" to "Ytisebo" to let people know that obesity is a disease and that sometimes it is uncontrollable and not simply a matter of willpower. This will create a positive and friendly social atmosphere, eliminate discrimination and labeling, and encourage patients to seek help.

In addition to patients actively adjusting their lifestyles, weight management can also involve the active assistance of medical professionals and the support of the general public through the support system and resource network established by the government, so that people will no longer have to lose weight alone when facing obesity control.