Let’s talk differently about obesity
Kent Buse and colleagues connected to the World Obesity Federation argue that it is time to fundamentally shift the narrative on obesity to tackle this major global crisis. The theme of this year’s World Obesity Day on 4th March 2024 is “Let’s talk about obesity and … our world.” We fully support the idea that everyone needs to be talking more about obesity. Obesity and overweight will affect half of the world’s population by 2035, yet remain misunderstood as chronic diseases whose incidence is increasing, including at ever younger ages.1 Overweight and obesity are currently leading causes of preventable death and disability—not least through their contribution to major non communicable diseases, including type II diabetes, stroke, coronary heart disease, and cancers.1 As the newly released World Obesity Federation Atlas 2024 reveals, obesity is global, affecting rich and poor countries alike.1 We need to talk about how to fix the policy environments that are fuelling obesity in most