Over 650 million people live with obesity around the world, more than twice the number compared to just 20 years ago. Despite this dramatic increase, society still does not have a true understanding of what it means to live with obesity. Because behind statistics there are real people whose trajectories in life have been changed, and whose partners, children and families are also affected by obesity.
In this section we shed light on their stories to help us better understand what it really means to live with obesity, and to learn from the experiences of those who support them.
My life nearly came to an abrupt end on March 17, 2020 because of the corona virus. Not that I had it… I didn’t, actually. But my absolute fear of getting COVID-19 stopped me from going to the hospital.
Most obesity interventions focus on prevention and do so through “education”. But there is a reason why this approach has had zero impact on obesity no matter how much we try to educate.
I have been living with obesity for 35 years. Since I was a teenager, actually. Believe it or not but that puts me in a unique position to speak about social distancing and social isolation.
What does it mean to be a man in a modern world? Conflicting messages and expectations from society towards men may not only interfere with one’s sense of identity, but also have impact on their health.
For me, living with obesity is always a struggle but during a lockdown, – where you have to stay at home – it can be more struggling than ever.
“I was 28 years old and 180 kilos. I was married, and the mother of two wonderful little boys. There were many things to be happy about in my life, but I was very depressed."
“Obese. Fat. Overweight. Higher weight. Big boned. Large-sized. Carrying excess fat. Unhealthy weight. These are just some of an endless list of words used to describe people's weight."
"I used to think patient advocacy was only for people unable to speak up for themselves... I now know that advocacy is about so much more."
"My name is Andreas and I live with obesity. I don't have obesity myself, but my parents have been obese and my fiancé, Melanie, is currently living with this chronic disease."
