Novo Nordisk Statement on World Obesity Day, 4 March

Statement from Novo Nordisk on World Obesity Day, 4 March In a statement marking World Obesity Day, Novo Nordisk Turkey Vice President and General Manager Dr. Burak Cem drew attention to the fact that 650 million people worldwide and 20 million people in our country are struggling with obesity. Dr. Burak Cem said, "Obesity is not a cosmetic problem, our subject is health. And the problem is much bigger than we think," inviting everyone to join the fight against obesity. Since 2020, the World Obesity Federation has designated 4 March as "World Obesity Day" to create a stronger voice globally, and emphasizes the need to adopt a holistic, national-level approach to combating obesity in terms of its causes, prevention methods, diagnosis and treatment. Novo Nordisk Turkey Vice President and General Manager Dr. Burak Cem, managed by the Novo Nordisk Foundation and aiming to slow the rapid progress in obesity treatment with nearly 100 years of experience, drew attention in his statement on World Obesity Day to the fact that 650 million people worldwide and 20 million people in our country are struggling with this disease. Dr. Burak Cem said: "Obesity rates continue to increase day by day in adults, children and adolescents. If obesity is not effectively combated, by 2030 there will be 250 million obese children worldwide with a 60 percent increase. By 2030, 11 percent of the world's population will be obese. Novo Nordisk's global target is to reduce this by 1 percent." Dr. Burak Cem said, "Obesity is not a cosmetic problem, our subject is health. And the problem is much bigger than we think," inviting everyone to join the fight against obesity.

Obesity: The Greatest Health Problem of the Future

Emphasizing that Novo Nordisk's global mission is to fight diabetes and obesity, which are among today's greatest health problems, Burak Cem stated the following: "Obesity; not of today but together with the more than 200 diseases it brings, is one of today's greatest health problems. According to World Obesity Federation data, obesity-related diseases cause the death of 4.7 million people every year. This figure means 13,000 people per day. And unfortunately, half of this consists of people under the age of 70. The cost of obesity and related diseases will reach 1 trillion USD worldwide by 2025. In 2019, the burden of obesity was calculated at 990 billion dollars per year. This figure accounts for 13 percent of all health expenditures. We know that everyone has a role to play in combating obesity and, with awareness of our responsibility, we are leading change in obesity in all areas. We will continue to take the steps we are taking to prevent obesity with the same determination and in cooperation with our stakeholders, but with greater strength," he said.

The Problem of Obesity Is Much Bigger Than We Think

Novo Nordisk Turkey Senior Director of Obesity Business Unit Dr. Rabia Demet Özcan stated that they operate with a vision of leading change in obesity from every perspective and provided the following information: "Obesity is a much bigger health problem than we think. Under physician supervision, it requires multifaceted treatment with the support of dietitians and psychologists. As Novo Nordisk, we are also providing important support to this process with our awareness projects and scientific work. Through projects we carry out in cooperation with our stakeholders, we are trying to identify the causes of obesity, find solutions and prevent the rapid increase in obesity. We are creating innovative and sustainable business models in the field of obesity. With our focus on fundamentally combating chronic diseases in our therapeutic area, we are also developing preventive projects beyond therapeutic treatments. Under the ownership of 'Pharmetic Entrepreneurial Pharmacists Association, prepared with Novo Nordisk's unconditional support, the Certified Obesity Consultant Pharmacist Online Training Platform "PharmObesity" consists of educational content and resources that will support pharmacists' consultant role in obesity treatment. The platform, which will help pharmacists become a reliable source of information for obese individuals by improving their knowledge about obesity disease and treatment, features certified training modules, expert videos, and suggestions and tips about obesity," she said.

A Significant Portion of Our Clinical Studies Focus on Obesity

Novo Nordisk Turkey Clinical, Medical, Regulatory and Quality Director Dr. Ömer Buğra Bahadır expressed the following about Novo Nordisk's R&D work: "As a company built on the legacy of insulin, a life-saving molecule that is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, we are also steadfastly fighting obesity, which is increasingly threatening our society on a large scale. The majority of our ongoing clinical studies are aimed at treating obesity. As Novo Nordisk, with our capacity to develop two new molecules every year, we are one of the very strong pharmaceutical companies in terms of portfolio. We currently have 17 molecules in phase 1-4. A large portion of this portfolio is focused on obesity treatment. Our goal is to touch and improve the lives of an increasing number of people each year," he said.