World Obesity Day, 11 October: Obesity and diet to be the theme of next Uppsala Health Summit

One of the major global healthcare challenges today is the increasing prevalence of obesity and overweight caused by unhealthy diets. The steering committee of the Uppsala Health Summit has decided that this pressing issue is to be the focus of next year’s Uppsala Health Summit.

Non-communicable diseases caused by unhealthy diets and lifestyles are on the rise at an alarming rate globally, an issue which will be highlighted tomorrow during the World Obesity Day, on 11 October. For instance, one of the new UN development goals is to decrease mortality from these conditions by 30 percent by 2030. According to current data (WHO), around 13 percent of the world’s adult population is considered obese, and 39 percent overweight.

Lifestyle factors are thought to be the main cause of the increasing prevalence of diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and certain types of cancer. In some parts of the world, obesity and malnourishment occur side by side in the population, burdening already strained societies further.

‘Uppsala Health Summit 2016 will focus on the part played by food intake and diets, both as a cause of obesity and as a platform for change to achieve the international goals’, says Anders Malmberg, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Uppsala University and chairman of the steering committee.

The summit is set to take place one year from now, in conjunction with the World Obesity Day 2016.

Facts:
Obesity: BMI > 30
Overweight: BMI 25-30
In Sweden, 15.5 % of men and 14.4 % of women are considered obese.

For further information, please contact Madeleine Neil, project leader Uppsala Health Summit, tel: +46 70 425 08 91