Obesity is one of the most pressing health issues globally. There are over two billion people in the world who are obese and Japan is leading the way into decreasing that number. Japan Society for the Study of Obesity (JASSO) has spearheaded a campaign that recognizes obesity as a disease and treatment at early symptoms are important. They have set certain criteria to determine whether obesity is indeed a disease for people who are obese. If symptoms are not present then obesity is not a disease but rather a health risk that must be monitored. The rest of the world does not view obesity as a disease even though it is a risk factor to other diseases or sickness such as hypertension and diabetes. Those who are suffering from hypertension and diabetes are treated for those sicknesses but not for obesity specifically which means that the root cause of the issue has not been addressed.
Different cases of obesity in Japan
JASSO is proposing that Japan introduces to the rest of the world their definition of obesity through discussing the issue at international conferences. It would be an honor for the Japanese definition to be recognized as the global definition of what obesity is. People around the world should start taking the issue seriously and not brushing the problem under the rug. Many want to change their lifestyle and their eating habits but feel that they might not be able to control themselves and their food cravings. Yet, the number of obese people around the world is increasing each day and it should be addressed immediately.
World Health Organization wants to be able to control and to stop the increase of obese people in the world by 2025. Various countries around the world are taking initiatives to decrease the number of obese people in their country. Dubai in United Arab Emirates has a high number of obese people and in 2013 they offered gold for every kilogram lost by a person. Mexico has been regulating the food advertisements for sugary drinks and snacks.
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