Community Actions

Obesity has reached epidemic proportions globally with 300 million of the people clinically obese. Coexisting in developing countries with under-nutrition, obesity is treated as a complex condition with severe psychological and social dimensions. Due to high consumption of more energy dense nutrient poor foods combined with lack of physical activity, obesity has risen threefold. Effective weight management for individuals is a long term strategy.

Creating a healthy environment to prevent Obesity

Key elements include

• Creating supportive population based environments which support accessibility to low fat and high fiber foods
• Encouraging healthy behaviors to assist individuals lose weight
• Clinical programs and staff training to be certain of proper clinical assistance for overweight and obese patients in hospitals

Location or Activity type	Impact on Obesity
Transportation	Reduced walking and cycling
Work place	Decrease in physically demanding manual labor, desk top jobs, lack of movement
At home	Reduced manual labor High junk food consumption Lesser active recreational pursuits
Public places	Lesser walk areas and stairs to climb
Urban places of residency	Lesser areas for outdoor activities and limited leisure time activities

Persons with obesity are associated with more than 30 medical conditions and scientific evidence has established a strong relationship with at least 15 other medical conditions. Behavioral and environmental changes due to economic development, urbanization and modernization have been linked to the rise in global obesity.