Join us on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, at 10:00 am (Washington DC time) on the webinar "Acceleration Plan to Stop Obesity" to observe World Obesity Day. The webinar will highlight the urgent need for scalable, evidence-based interventions and discuss key initiatives with experts, policymakers, and advocates. Don’t miss this opportunity to be part of the conversation.
Objectives:
- Raise Awareness: Highlight the global and regional obesity crisis, its impact, and the urgency of multisectoral and intersectoral action.
- Showcase Solutions: Share success stories and effective strategies to inspire and guide countries in developing their own approaches.
- Foster Collaboration: Bring together governments, civil society, academia, and international organizations to strengthen partnerships and promote coordinated action.
- Accelerate Action: for implementation at the country level.
- Promote Accountability: Encourage stakeholder engagement, discuss monitoring frameworks, and emphasize accountability in addressing obesity as a public health priority.
RECORDING
HOW TO PARTICIPATE:
- DAY: Tuesday, March 4, 2025
- TIME: 10:00 a.m. (Washington DC, or EST) [Check the bottom of this page for the time in other cities]
- LANGUAGES: English, Spanish, and Portuguese with simultaneous translation.
- REGISTRATION: https://paho-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_RI82wHNdSXac6CGMZ-CPuA#/registration
AGENDA
Moderator: Vanessa Garcia Larsen, Chief Risk Factors and Nutrition Unit, Department of Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health (NMH/RF), Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)
10:00 a.m. – 10:05 a.m. Welcome Remarks
- Anselm Hennis, Director of Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health Department, PAHO
10:05 a.m. – 10:10 a.m. Introduction to the webinar
- Vanessa Garcia Larsen, Chief of NMH/RF, PAHO
10:10 a.m. – 10:20 a.m. The Global Obesity Crisis
- Johanna Ralston - CEO of the World Obesity Federation (WOF)
10:20 a.m. 10:30 a.m. WHO Acceleration Plan to STOP Obesity
- Luz Maria de Regil, Director of Nutrition and Food Safety, World Health Organization (WHO)
10:30 a.m. – 10:40 a.m. Gender perspective on Obesity
- Cecilia Alemany, Deputy Regional Director for the Americas and the Caribbean, UN WOMEN
10:40 a.m. – 10:50 a.m. WHO technical package to stop obesity: A step-by-step approach to design and implement the obesity pandemic response
- Francesca Celletti, Senior Advisor, Office of the Director, Department of Nutrition and Food Safety, WHO
10:50 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. PAHO and WHO’s Action Plans for the Prevention and Control of Obesity in the Americas: progress and challenges
- Fabio Gomes, Regional Advisor Nutrition and Physical Activity NMH/RF, PAHO
11:00 a.m. – 11:35 a.m. Discussion Panel: Countries' Experiences in Implementing Obesity Interventions
Moderator: Leo Nederveen, Regional Advisor Food, Nutrition and Physical Activity NMH/RF, PAHO
- Outline of the nine front-runner countries
- Directed questions
11:35 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. Building bridges to stop obesity: Government, Civil Society and Academia
- Lilia Pedraza, Global Alliance for Healthy Eating for Children and Adolescents (ALSANNA)
11:45 a.m. – 11:55 a.m. The Voice of Youth: Driving Action for Obesity Prevention and Control
- Pierre Cooke, Technical Advisor Healthy Caribbean Coalition (HCC)
11:55 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Closing remarks
- Vanessa Garcia Larsen, Chief NMH/RF, PAHO
BACKGROUND
World Obesity Day, observed annually on 4 March, serves as a unified global call to action, fostering a cohesive, multisector response to the obesity crisis. This day highlights the urgent need for collaborative solutions to address one of our time's most pressing public health challenges.
The Americas Region faces the highest global prevalence of obesity, with 67.5% of adults having a combined prevalence of overweight and obesity, and 37.6% of children and adolescents affected. In 2021, approximately 5.8 million deaths, representing 81% of the deaths in the Region, were attributed to noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), with obesity serving as a significant risk factor. These alarming statistics emphasize the urgent need to implement scalable, evidence-based interventions.
The countries of the Americas took an important step forward in the fight against the rising epidemic of obesity when they unanimously signed a 5-year Plan of Action for the Prevention of Obesity in Children and Adolescents, during the 53rd Directing Council of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), which was also 66th Session of the Regional Committee of the World Health Organization for the Americas. Among other measures, the plan calls for implementing fiscal policies, regulating food marketing and labeling, improving school nutrition and physical activity environments, and promoting breastfeeding. Its goal is to halt the rise of the epidemic so that there is no increase in obesity prevalence rates.
At the 75th World Health Assembly in 2022, Member States took a critical step by adopting new recommendations for the prevention and management of obesity. The endorsement of the WHO Acceleration Plan to Stop Obesity underscored the need for multisectoral and intersectoral actions, grounded in proven policies and backed by implementation and delivery science.
The World Health Organization (WHO) Acceleration Plan is a pivotal tool to stimulate and support country-level actions. By drawing on tried and tested policies, it aims to create a transformative impact in addressing obesity worldwide. The plan supports countries to identify cost-effective priority actions for maximum impact, supporting the implementation of actions at the country level, communicating and advocating for action, and promoting stakeholder engagement and accountability.
PAHO’s efforts align with the Acceleration Plan, targeting nine front-runner countries: Argentina, Barbados, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, and Uruguay. These countries were identified based on their epidemiological data, existing policy frameworks, and commitment to technical assistance.
The strategic initiatives under the Acceleration Plan aim to save millions of lives and foster a healthy and equitable future for the Americas. While initial efforts focus on these nine countries, the goal is to scale up interventions across the entire region, leveraging successful approaches and lessons learned.
RELATED LINKS
Prevalence of overweight and obesity (ENLACE portal)
TIME IN OTHER CITIES
- 7:00 a.m. – Los Angeles, Vancouver.
- 9:00 a.m. – Belmopan, Guatemala City, Managua, Mexico City, San Jose (CR), San Salvador, Tegucigalpa.
- 10:00 a.m. – Bogota, Kingston, Lima, Panama City, Quito, Washington D.C., Havana, Port-au-Prince, Nassau, Ottawa.
- 11:00 a.m. – Bridgetown, Caracas, Georgetown, La Paz, Port of Spain, San Juan, Santo Domingo.
- 12:00 p.m. – Asuncion, Buenos Aires, Santiago, Brasilia, Montevideo, Paramaribo.
- 4:00 p.m. – Geneva, Madrid.
For other cities, check the local time using the following link.