In response to a recent Lancet article which records a tenfold increase in childhood obesity and projects that more children will be obese than underweight by 2022, the World Stroke Organization is adding its voice to those of partners in the field of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) to urge action by governments and health service providers, insurers and communities to prioritise and invest in obesity prevention.
WSO has a clear stake in tackling obesity, around one out of every five strokes are linked to obesity. Addressing this health issue has the potential to save 1.3 million lives lost to obesity related stroke and many more from other NCDs such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer.
While individual actions to address life-style risks can play a critical role in reducing risks of obesity, stroke and other non-communicable diseases there is clearly much more that can be done by governments to make it easier to make healthy lifestyle choices.
