Amèlia Sarroca, research support technician
Yesterday, March 4, was World Obesity Day, a day whose aim is to raise awareness among the population of the harmful effects of overweight and obesity and also to avoid the stigmatization that can be felt towards people who are in this situation.
We live in a situation in which social networks have a great impact on the day to day, the aesthetic pressure on the population, especially women, has a serious negative impact especially on teenagers. A critical spirit is necessary in the use of social networks and tools to be able to achieve a healthy and sustainable diet, and a healthy relationship with the act of eating. Social networks have a clear influence on the dissemination of food, restaurants, dishes, recipes and following a lifestyle. They are, therefore, tools that can have a great positive impact.
Exercise, a possible remedy
But physical activity is an important pillar in the prevention of obesity. Exercising is a remedy for emotional factors that have a major impact on overweight and obesity. When we do physical activity, the mind produces endorphins, which generate a state of emotional well-being that improves self-confidence and self-esteem, in addition to the physical benefits of having routines that involve movement. It may seem like a very distant reality, but according to the results of the Catalonia Health Survey 2022, more than 38.9% of children aged six to twelve in Catalonia are overweight (25.2% are overweight and the 13.7% are obese). The difficulty of accessing healthy and healthy food is a clear limitation, but it is necessary to provide tools in order to have healthy eating and activity habits.
Projects to achieve change
In relation to all these points, HealthyW8 is working to develop a tool to be able to prevent the transition from overweight to obesity, a step that is difficult to reverse and leads to many health problems in the medium and long term.
CREDA participated and facilitated a day last Friday (01/03), in order to validate the best tools to implement in an intervention that will include socio-demographic, psychological/behavioural aspects, physical activity and different dietary patterns with a recommendation of dishes and purchases Likewise, we will participate in a pilot with children and their families, in order to evaluate the interventions and validate their impact.
We invite you to take a sensitive perspective with a reality that is very present throughout our continent and the known as the Western world, where we live overfed but malnourished in many cases. We have a local vegetable garden, we have farmers who work day and night to provide us with fresh food, but much of it does not reach the final consumer and is lost along the chain.
Changes in behaviour, a big help
On the other hand, follow the recommendations of the World Association of Obesity (WOF) by being empathetic with the problem of overweight and obesity, especially in childhood obesity. Changing the way we talk and communicate about this complex issue is a pillar, which requires focusing on people to avoid stigma, using expressions like overweight children or living with obesity, since the way we talk about overweight and obesity can have a significant impact on the emotional well-being of those affected and their families. We all need everyone to accompany us, we live in a society where the relationships between us have a great impact on our day-to-day life and our mental health, and consequently, our physical health.
Let’s take care of ourselves!!
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