43,000 People Set Aside Prejudices and Said "Let's Do It Together" to Fight Obesity

The 9th National Obesity Congress, held in Ankara on 22-25 November, also supported the "Let's Do It Together" campaign.

Within the framework of World Obesity Day, TOAD and Novo Nordisk Turkey launched a new digital campaign to raise awareness about obesity, a treatable chronic disease. The campaign aims to draw attention to obesity, which is becoming a serious problem worldwide, and to the various social prejudices faced by individuals battling obesity. The "Let's Do It Together" campaign was supported by 43,664 people within one month. Speaking about the project, TOAD Vice President Prof. Dr. Dilek Yazıcı pointed out that obesity causes many complications and stated: "Obesity is associated with numerous complications, ranging from diabetes, hypertension and heart disease to psychological problems, and treatment requires a multidisciplinary team working together, including dietitians, psychologists, exercise specialists and physicians. Unfortunately, many misconceptions and attitudes about obesity prevail in society. Obese individuals must contend not only with their illness but also with prejudices in the community. These prejudices lead to social isolation, delayed help-seeking behavior, low self-esteem and negative body image among individuals. They result in obese individuals avoiding healthcare services, delaying or postponing treatment, and consequently facing increasingly mounting health problems," she said. Experts emphasize that prejudices multiply complications stemming from obesity in individuals fighting the disease, and consequently, healthcare costs increase in direct proportion to the mounting health problems.

'Obese Individuals Don't Even Know Who to Ask for Help or How'

Aysun Hatipoğlu, Director of Market Access and Corporate Relations at Novo Nordisk Turkey, in a statement regarding the "Let's Do It Together, Break Prejudices, Manage Obesity" digital campaign, recalled that the prevalence of obesity in Turkey is 36 percent and emphasized the importance of cooperation alongside awareness to combat this disease. Aysun Hatipoğlu stated: "One in every three people in our country is struggling with obesity. Research conducted abroad shows that these patients unfortunately do not even know who to ask for help or how. Moreover, they are exposed to social prejudices that extend to exclusion. Turkey is among the few countries that define obesity as a treatable chronic disease. As Novo Nordisk Turkey, we organize many scientific and social educational programs to raise awareness about this disease. We are developing new projects and supporting projects that will create awareness. First and foremost, we are educating the public to prevent them from getting sick. On the other hand, we offer the most advanced treatment options for patients."

The Real Life of Individuals Fighting Obesity

At the 9th National Obesity Congress held in Ankara, journalist Yeşim Sert Karaaslan's book titled "Those Who Challenge Obesity" was shared with participants. In the book, Karaaslan narrates the real life stories of individuals battling obesity. The book, in which Yeşim Sert Karaaslan also documented her own experiences, presents the lives of patients defying obesity with striking narrative, detailing the changes, experiences and successes they achieved. Let's Do It Together, Break Prejudices, Manage Obesity Obesity, a chronic and complex disease, is shaped by biological, social and environmental factors. The most important condition for managing obesity is to act together. A movement is being initiated that can provide motivation not only with obese individuals or only with physicians, associations and stakeholders working in this field, but by including society as a whole.