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Saturday 23 May: European Obesity Day

19 May 2015 | By INSERM (Newsroom) | Uncategorized

European Obesity Day, which will be held on Saturday 23 May, recalls the seriousness of this disease, which is affecting more and more people in France and in the world. 

On a world scale, the number of obesity cases has doubled since 1980. In 2014, over 1.9 billion adults were overweight. Of this total, over 600 million were obese.

Overweight and obesity are defined as an abnormal or excessive fat accumulation. Body mass index, BMI, corresponding to the weight divided by the square of the height, expressed in kg/m2, is a quantity that makes it possible to estimate a person’s corpulence. Thus a BMI of 30 or greater is generally associated with an obese status. A person with a BMI of 25 or more is considered overweight.

According to the World Health Organisation, by 2030 most European countries are at risk of experiencing an increase, spectacular in some cases, in these diseases.[1]

As well as having an impact on peoples’ quality of life of from a social, occupational and familial point of view, obesity is a factor in cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension and cancer. This serious disease, recognised as a public health priority, is the subject of much study, particularly by Inserm Units 1166, “Research Unit on Cardiovascular, Metabolic and Nutritional Diseases” (ICAN) and 1153, “Nutritional Epidemiology Research Team” (EREN).

During this day, events and actions (sports activities, cookery workshops, service open days, etc.) will be on offer from the players involved in this theme, in public places and in healthcare facilities (more information on the official website for European Obesity Day of the French National Collective of Associations of the Obese (CNAO)).

[1] This warning was issued by WHO during the European Congress on Obesity held in Prague in early May
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