Palermitan Provenzano calls for unlocking obesity bill.

Last Updated: March 4, 2024

The article discusses World Obesity Day, which falls on March 4, 2024, highlighting the global health threat of obesity and overweight. With over one billion clinically obese people worldwide, it is considered a more serious threat to global health than hunger. Obesity is the fifth leading cause of death and is linked to various health conditions such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and certain forms of cancer. The article also mentions the financial burden that obesity places on national healthcare systems. It discusses the potential solution of increasingly effective medications for obesity, which are currently only accessible to the wealthy due to their high cost. A bill aimed at making these medications more accessible to the general population is currently stalled in the Italian Parliament. The president of the Italian Society for Metabolism, Diabetes, and Obesity (Simdo), Vincenzo Provenzano, emphasizes the need for democratic access to weight loss medications and highlights the importance of addressing obesity as a disease. He argues that expanding access to these medications could result in significant economic and social savings, particularly among lower-income populations where obesity rates are higher.