Belgian obesity organisation wants to discuss worrying trend with ministers

The Belgian Association for the Study of Obesity (BASO) is on Tuesday, 4 March or World Obesity Day, launching a new campaign to raise awareness of the chronic disease. The organisation will request a meeting with the responsible ministers of the different Belgian governments.

According to the Belgian public health institute Sciensano, almost half of the Belgian population is overweight. 18 per cent of Belgians is even obese. The projections for 2030 look even more dire. The situation in Belgium is not among the worst in Europe, but the figures still worry experts. “The situation in our country is not going in the right direction,” said expert Nele Coulier of BASO.

BASO wants to discuss the worrying trend with the responsible Belgian ministers: Flemish welfare minister Caroline Gennez, federal health minister Frank Vandenbroucke and Walloon health minister Yves Coppieters. The aim is to highlight the urgency of the problem.

For the general public, BASO is launching an awareness campaign against the chronic disease on Tuesday, on the occasion of World Obesity Day. “The problem is that obesity brings with it a lot of secondary diseases,” said Coulier. “Think of cardiovascular diseases and joint problems, for example. These can be prevented if you tackle the first cause.”

With the campaign, the organisation mainly wants to destigmatise the disease and encourage people to seek help. “Obesity is not a choice, how we deal with it is,” states BASO in its new campaign.

More info can be found on the website www.overobesitas.be

 

Illustration © BELGA PHOTO IMAGO


Related news

Website preview
New diabetes and weight-loss drug Mounjaro now available in Belgium
Mounjaro, a new drug against type 2 diabetes and obesity, is available in Belgium from Friday. The drug is similar to the popular Ozempic...
belganewsagency.eu

 

Share

Get updates in your mailbox

By clicking "Subscribe" I confirm I have read and agree to the Privacy Policy.

About belganewsagency.eu

Belga News Agency delivers dependable, rapid and high-quality information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, from Belgium and abroad to all Belgian media. The information covers all sectors, from politics, economics and finance to social affairs, sports and culture, not to mention entertainment and lifestyle.

Every day, our journalists and press photographers produce hundreds of photos and news stories, dozens of online information items, plus audio and video bulletins, all in both national languages. Since the end of March 2022 English has been added as a language.

For public institutions, businesses and various organisations that need reliable information, Belga News Agency also offers a comprehensive range of corporate services to meet all their communication needs.

Contact

Arduinkaai 29 1000 Brussels

www.belganewsagency.eu