Obesity Must Be Treated

Obesity Must Be Treated ÇABA Association, with the unconditional support of Novo Nordisk Turkey, launched the "Merkezim Sağlıklı Yaşam" campaign to raise awareness that obesity is a treatable health problem and requires societal action. Deputy Provincial Health Director Assoc. Prof. Dr. Savaş Bayrak, who attended the campaign launch, stated that the primary treatment for obesity is not surgery, saying "Obesity is a public health problem. We must manage this disease at the primary care level." According to World Health Organization (WHO) data, 650 million people worldwide and 20 million people in our country are dealing with obesity. According to WHO's new report covering 53 countries, obesity has now become an epidemic. The report shows that Turkey ranks first in Europe in obesity with rapidly rising figures. For this reason, combating obesity on a national scale with a holistic approach is of great importance. ÇABA Association, which has organized numerous charitable activities and touched many lives with its support in every area needed by society, is launching a special awareness campaign for obesity awareness and treatment. The launch of "Merkezim Sağlıklı Yaşam," a follow-up to the "Hadi Birlikte" project carried out by ÇABA Association with the unconditional support of Novo Nordisk Turkey, took place at JW Marriott Marmara Sea with the participation of Deputy Provincial Health Director Assoc. Prof. Dr. Savaş Bayrak. Within the scope of the project, awareness and education activities will be implemented to highlight that obesity is a disease that needs to be treated. Through the work to be carried out under the campaign, awareness will be increased that obesity, which is increasing gradually in our country, is a chronic disease that must be managed with the support of different specialties such as physicians, dietitians, psychologists, exercise specialists and bariatric surgeons. Education activities will be conducted regarding the disease itself, prejudices and stigma within this context; by placing healthy living habits at the center of their lives, ways to combat obesity such as weight loss with expert support will be explained. Deputy Provincial Health Director Assoc. Prof. Dr. Savaş Bayrak, who attended the Merkezim Sağlıklı Yaşam launch, said "Obesity is a public health problem. The primary treatment of obesity is not surgery. Obesity must be managed at the primary care level. Comprehensive action is important here. In this struggle that begins in the family and in school children's lunchboxes, we must make obese individuals feel they are not alone. The Merkezim Sağlıklı Yaşam project, by placing correct living habits and nutrition at its center, is an important project that will support obese individuals." ÇABA Association President Eda Kosif, speaking about the campaign at the Merkezim Sağlıklı Yaşam launch, said: "Each of the works carried out by ÇABA Association to create social impact and public awareness has touched millions of people. All of these activities, carried out by ÇABA Association with sincerity and love, not only provided public benefit but also reminded us of forgotten values such as mutual aid and solidarity. Today, with the unconditional support of our dear Novo Nordisk, I am confident that the Merkezim Sağlıklı Yaşam campaign launched will reach much wider audiences for the sake of health." ÇABA Association Board Member Dr. Özlem Cankurtaran drew attention to the harms of obesity and its impact on public health: "Obesity is increasing in our country as it is throughout the world and is threatening public health. Obesity, which is becoming increasingly prevalent under the influence of lifestyle and eating habits, is a disease that needs to be treated. As ÇABA, with the support of our Provincial Health Directorate, we will ensure that awareness activities are carried out within the scope of the Merkezim Sağlıklı Yaşam campaign on obesity and treatment methods. Our greatest goal is to ensure that everyone understands that there are ways to fight obesity. Each of us will place healthy living at the center of our lives and become a voluntary ambassador for this project and work to reach wider audiences and make this movement more beneficial," she stated. Novo Nordisk Turkey Senior Manager of Corporate Relations and Communications İrte Alptekin, stating that they act with the vision of leading change in every aspect of combating obesity, explained as follows: "Obesity, not just today's issue, is one of today's greatest health problems along with more than 200 diseases it brings with it. Effective action against this problem requires multifaceted treatment under medical supervision, accompanied by dietitians and psychologists. If obesity is not combated effectively, by 2030, 250 million children worldwide will be obese with a 60 percent increase. Eleven percent of the world's population will be obese. Novo Nordisk's global goal is to reduce this by 1 percent. Our goal in our country is to reduce Turkey's average weight. As Novo Nordisk, we provide significant support to this process through our awareness projects and scientific work. Through projects carried out in cooperation with our stakeholders, we are working to reveal the causes of obesity, find solutions and prevent the rapid increase in obesity. Through these activities we are leading the change in obesity. The Merkezim Sağlıklı Yaşam project will also make a meaningful contribution to our country's fight against this epidemic through the obesity awareness it will create."