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WHO
acceleration plan
to stop obesity
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 75th World
At the
Health Assembly in
2022, Member States adopted new
recommendations for the prevention
and management of obesity and
endorsed the WHO acceleration plan to

stop obesity
The WHO acceleration plan to stop obesity1 is
designed to stimulate and support multisectoral
country level action across the globe. Drawing on
policies that are already tried and tested and based
on implementation and delivery science, the plan
offers the prospect of a step change in delivery and
impact in the effort to tackle the growing crisis of
obesity.

1 WHA75 - Annex 7 Acceleration plan to support Member

States in implementing the recommendations for the
prevention and management of obesity over the life course
https://apps.who.int/gb/ebwha/pdf_files/WHA75-REC1/
A75_REC1_Interactive_en.pdf#page=105.

1
A public health crisis

T
he global burden and threat of obesity for Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs)
constitutes a major public health reduction for adolescents and adults. Without
challenge that undermines social and addressing obesity, it will not be possible
economic development throughout the world to achieve a 30% reduction of premature
and has the effect of increasing inequalities mortality from NCDs by 2030, nor will it be
between countries and within populations. possible to end malnutrition (by wasting and
Obesity has now reached epidemic proportions overweight) among children under 5 years of
and it is estimated that by 2030 over one billion age. Both are key targets of the Sustainable
adults globally will be obese.1 Once associated Development Goals (SDGs).
with high-income countries, obesity is now also
prevalent in low-and middle-income countries, Obesity has very significant impacts on
including among lower socio-economic groups. wellbeing and quality of life and is a major
In some contexts, the factors contributing to risk factor in many other NCDs. In 2019, it
obesity are the same as those that contribute contributed to approximately 5 million deaths
to undernutrition. from cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancers,
neurological disorders, chronic respiratory
Stopping the growing obesity epidemic is diseases, and digestive disorders.2 People who
one of the 2025 Global Nutrition Targets (for suffer from obesity also experience a four-fold
children under 5) and one of the Targets increased risk of developing severe COVID-19.3

Tackling the growth in obesity is critical to

achieving the Sustainable Development
Goal (SDG) target 3.4: to reduce by one third
premature mortality from NCDs by 2030.

1 World Obesity Atlas 2022. World Obesity Federation. London: 2022 (https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/wof-files/World_Obesity_Atlas_2022.pdf, accessed 11 April 2023).
2 Chong, B., Jayabaskaran, J., Kong, G, et al. Trends and predictions of malnutrition and obesity in 204 countries and territories: An analysis of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019.
EClinicalMedicine. 2023. 57. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eclinm.2023.101850.
3 Izcovich A, Ragusa MA, Tortosa F, Lavena Marzio MA, Agnoletti C, et al. Prognostic factors for severity and mortality in patients infected with COVID-19: A systematic reviewPLoS One. 2020; 15(11):
e0241955.

2 WHO acceleration plan to stop obesity

Can obesity be prevented?

O
verweight and obesity are largely
preventable. At the individual level,
people may be able to reduce their
risk by limiting energy intake from total fats
and sugars; increasing consumption of fruit
and vegetables, as well as legumes, whole
grains and nuts; and engaging in regular
physical activity. However, the dietary and
physical activity patterns for individual people
are largely the result of environmental and Health
societal conditions that greatly constrain warning
personal choice.1

Missing targets = missing opportunities = losing lives

No country is on track to meet global targets
to stop the increase in obesity!
Tackling obesity must be recognized first as a
societal rather than an individual responsibility
with the solutions to be found through the
creation of supportive environments and
communities that embed healthy diets and
regular physical activity as the most accessible, The solution to the
available and affordable behaviours of daily
life. Stopping the rise in obesity will demand
obesity epidemic is
multisectoral actions that can have a more political will, a plan of
direct impact on the disease (such as food action and the resources
manufacturing, marketing and pricing) and commitment
and others that seek to address the wider
determinants of health (such as poverty
to deliver
reduction and urban planning). Health sector
responses designed and equipped to identify
risk, prevent, treat and manage the disease
are also urgently needed. These actions need
to build upon and be integrated into broader
efforts to address NCDs and strengthen
health systems through a primary health care
approach.
1. Obesity and overweight. World Health Organization. (https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/obesity-and-overweight, accessed 26 June 2023).

3
Putting a stop to the rise in obesity:
a complex challenge

O
besity is a public health emergency The answer to the obesity epidemic lies
and an effective global response to in action to address the structural factors
the obesity epidemic is now urgent that are rapidly contributing to the creation
and imperative. However, there is no single of a worldwide obesogenic environment.
or simple solution. The response will demand Governments, supported by all key
ambitious reform on many fronts and on stakeholders, must now take responsibility for
a scale sufficient to address the sum of ensuring the availability of healthy sustainable
environmental influences that exacerbate food at locally affordable prices, for embedding
the likelihood of obesity in individuals or safe and easy physical mobility into the daily
populations and in different settings. These life of all people and for enabling and enforcing
influences are referred to as the “obesogenic an adequate legal and regulatory environment.
environment”. At the same time, an effective health system
response must be mobilized to help prevent,
treat and manage obesity.

BOX 1 Definition of obesity

Obesity is a chronic complex disease defined by excessive adiposity that can impair
health. It is in most cases a multifactorial disease due to obesogenic environments,
psycho-social factors and genetic variants. In a subgroup of patients, single major
etiological factors can be identified (medications, diseases, immobilization, iatrogenic
procedures, monogenic disease/genetic syndrome). Body mass index (BMI) is a surrogate
marker of adiposity calculated as weight (kg)/height² (m²). The BMI categories for defining
obesity vary by age and gender in infants, children and adolescents. For adults, obesity is
defined by a BMI greater than or equal to 30.00 kg/m². There are three levels of severity in
recognition of different management options.

In infants, children and adolescents, BMI categories for defining obesity vary by age
and gender based on WHO growth charts. Children 0 to 5 years have obesity if weight-for-
length/height or BMI-for-age is above 3 standard deviations of the median of the WHO
Child Growth Standards. Children aged 5 to 19 years have obesity if BMI-for-age is above 2
standard deviations of the median of WHO Growth Reference for School-aged Children and
Adolescents.
International classification of diseases for mortality and morbidity statistics (11th Revision). Geneva: World Health Organization; 2018 https://icd.who.int/browse11/l-m/en.

4 WHO acceleration plan to stop obesity

WHO acceleration plan
to stop obesity

T
he WHO acceleration plan to stop Approaches endorsed in the plan include:
obesity sets out the incremental comprehensive policies to protect people
steps for a comprehensive, systematic from the harmful impact of food marketing;
approach to tackling obesity. The plan is nutrition labelling policies (including front-
assisting countries to navigate the complexity of-pack labelling); fiscal policies (including
of the implementation challenges and deliver taxes and subsidies to promote healthy diets);
results. public food procurement and reformulation
policies; physical activity; as well as school
At the heart of the plan sits a consolidated food and nutrition policies (including school
set of policies which have been selected food standards, food provision and nutrition
based on their proven potential to achieve education).
outcomes. Next, the plan prioritizes existing
policy recommendations in order to focus on A whole- Obesity prevention
those most likely to prove impactful, feasible, of-society and management
acceptable, affordable and scalable. Finally, approach
the plan uses state of the art implementation also requires
necessitates multisectoral
and delivery science to guide how countries actions at policies and actions that go
can best unlock and deliver a programme of subnational beyond the health sector
change. and local
levels and can include collaboration between
The role of the environments that surround organizations working towards a common goal.
communities has long been recognized For example, district administration, education
as a major contributor to obesity. Obesity and health authorities creating and maintaining
prevention and control necessitates multi- public parks that cater for the needs of different
sectoral policies and actions that go beyond age groups, or primary care teams in health
the health sector. Such policies and actions are clinics and school teachers jointly promoting
implemented through a coordinated whole- healthy eating practices, giving oral healthcare
of-society approach with a range of ministries advice, and offering services to ensure timely
and partnerships, while managing conflicts of identification of children at risk of obesity. Within
interest and safeguarding public health. They the school setting, school staff together with food
include structural, fiscal, and regulatory actions service staff can implement nudges, alongside
aimed at creating healthy food environments measures such as setting school food standards,
that make healthier food options available, to further influence children’s food selection
accessible and desirable. towards foods that contribute to a healthy diet.

5
 If everything
is important,
The plan also calls for stronger integration of
nothing is
obesity prevention and treatment into primary important
health care services, particularly in low- and
middle-income countries where many health
clinics lack even the most basic diagnostic
tools for checking blood sugar levels, weight If everything
or blood pressure or the resources to provide
prevention and management counselling is a priority,
and health services. Finally, the plan calls on nothing is a
Member States to draw up country-based
roadmaps, bringing together stakeholders and priority
advancing advocacy and communications.

BOX 2 Policies and actions to stop the rise in obesity

Taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB)
A range of policy interventions to increase the cost of sugar-sweetened beverages to the
consumer or to reduce the sugar content of the drinks have been introduced in several
countries, including Mexico, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Northern Ireland and have proved effective in either reducing sales or reducing
consumption of sugar from sugary drinks.
Following the introduction of a one-peso per litre tax in Mexico (which is approximately a
10% tax), SSB purchases reduced by 6%. A higher tax in Saudi Arabia of 50% on carbonated
beverages had greater impact leading to a 35% reduction in sales. The UK took a different
approach which focused on reducing the sugar content of drinks rather than reducing the
volume of sales. In response to the UK tiered Soft Drinks Industry Levy (SDIL), the sugar
levels of household beverage purchases fell by almost 30g per household per week— while
the volume of households’ beverage purchases did not change indicating that the impact is
likely to be due to reformulation of the products. South Africa has also introduced a tiered
tax. Following the introduction of the Health Promotion Levy, the mean daily sugar intake
from taxed beverages fell 37.5% while the mean per capita daily volume of taxed beverage
purchases only fell by about 15%.
Colchero MA, Popkin BM, Rivera JA, Ng SW. Beverage purchases from stores in Mexico under the excise tax on sugar sweetened beverages: observational study. BMJ. 2016;352. 10.1136/bmj.
h6704.
Alsukait R, Wilde P, Bleich SN, Singh G, Folta SC. Evaluating Saudi Arabia’s 50% carbonated drink excise tax: Changes in prices and volume sales. Economics & Human Biology.
2020;38:100868.
Pell D, Mytton O, Penney TL, Briggs A, Cummins S, Penn-Jones C, et al. Changes in soft drinks purchased by British households associated with the UK soft drinks industry levy: controlled
interrupted time series analysis. BMJ. 2021;372.
Hofman KJ, Stacey N, Swart EC, Popkin BM, Ng SW. South Africa’s health promotion levy: excise tax findings and equity potential. Obesity Reviews. 2021;22.

6 WHO acceleration plan to stop obesity

The Five Workstreams

The WHO acceleration plan to stop obesity comprises five workstreams.

Workstream 1: Evidence-based, impactful and cost-effective actions

WHO has developed an obesity technical (including initiatives to regulate the sales of
package that prioritizes and consolidates products high in fats, sugars and salt in close
proven policy interventions and includes proximity to schools); protecting, supporting
impact-modelling estimates. (See Box 3.) and promoting breastfeeding; and standards
Examples of interventions selected under the and regulations on active travel and physical
plan include: evidence-based approaches to activity in schools.
the implementation of regulations to protect
children from the harmful marketing of food The work will include ensuring mechanisms
and beverages; fiscal and pricing policies to are in place to safeguard public health
promote healthy diets and nutrition labelling from undue influence by real, perceived or
policies; school-based nutrition policies potential conflicts of interest.
Figure 1. Act across multiple settings and scale up impactful interventions

Health system
Social protection system

Sport system
Urban design and built environment
Education system
Information system and digital environment

Recommendations WHO Technical Package

filtered by impact, • Fiscal polices
feasibility, • Marketing foods and beverages
acceptability, • Food labelling
affordability and
• Early food environment
scalability
• Public food procurement
• Physical activity
• Building capacity in the health system to deliver
obesity management services
• Public education and awareness
• Innovations

7
Following the inter-country dialogues organized chosen to adopt sugar-sweetened beverages
by WHO in the six regions (see Box 5), not all (SSB) interventions. By contrast, seven
frontrunner countries choose to adopt all the countries have chosen to progress school
policy interventions proposed in the WHO nutrition interventions and so far, only one
technical package. Indeed, each frontrunner of the frontrunner countries has chosen to
country is making a choice according to its use subsidies. Figure 2 shows at a glance the
own context, prioritization and feasibility. current trend of popularity of the different
For example 10 out of 28 frontrunners have interventions.
Figure 2. Obesity interventions prioritized by frontrunner countries
SSB Taxes

Obesity management 10
health service delivery
10
Marketing
9

Areas of
Standards, legislation,
intervention
regulation Early food
10 and number of
frontrunner environment
countries
8
selecting
Subsidies
1
44 Physical activity
Social marketing and 8
communication
7 7
School nutrition policies Front-of-pack labelling

Economic Current annual global costs of obesity US$ 990 billion

warning
3.29%
Annual cost of obesity as on average across The world
cannot afford
percentage of total GDP in 2060 all countries
NOT
US$ 429 billion
to act!
Potential total savings per year on average
(if overweight and obesity prevalence is reduced by 5% between 2020 and 2060)

Okunogbe A, Nugent R, Spencer G et al. Economic impacts of overweight and obesity: current and future estimates for 161 countries. BMJ Global Health. 2022, Vol. 7, p. e009773.
Obesity: missing the 2025 global targets: trends, costs and country reports. 2020. World Obesity Federation. https://www.worldobesity.org/resources/resource-library/world-obesity-day-missing-the-targets-report.

8 WHO acceleration plan to stop obesity

BOX 3 Modelling impact

The WHO obesity policy modelling tool

The Department of Delivery for Impact (DFI), within the Division of Data, Analytics and
Delivery for Impact, supports WHO’s work to optimize impact at country level through
a systematic, data-driven, and sustained focus on driving progress towards the 2030 SDGs.

DFI, in collaboration with the Department of Nutrition and Food Safety, has developed a
simple, easy-to-use tool to assess the short- to mid-term impact of interventions to tackle
the obesity epidemic.

The tool builds primarily on the methodological assumptions used in the WHO-CHOICE
analysis,1 specifically from the evidence supporting Appendix 3 of the Global Action Plan
for Noncommunicable Diseases,2 and applies it on country-specific demographic data. It
models the impact of one to three policies aimed at reducing overweight and obesity on
population-level body mass index (BMI) distribution.

The modelling tool helps the country in their decision-making process to prioritize areas of
intervention for prevention and management of obesity. It will also help monitor progress
and inform course-correcting and advocating for accelerated action as part of the WHO
Acceleration Plan to Stop Obesity.

1 WHO-CHOICE programme.
2 Technical briefs - Updating Appendix 3 of the WHO global action plan for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases 2013–2030.

“Obesity-related diseases drain

scarce resources from health
systems and negatively impact
economies”
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General.3

3 https://www.worldobesity.org/news/changing-perspectives-and-advancing-national-action.

9
 Workstream 2: Delivery for impact
The delivery for impact workstream brings together technical expertise on obesity with
implementation science expertise on programme delivery.

Focusing initially on a subset of countries, the plan supports the development and
implementation of country-specific data-driven incremental strategies for slowing and
reversing obesity trends and uses the WHO impact cycle to unlock solutions and deliver the
progress that is needed.1

Figure 3. Impact cycle

Achieve impact
at country level
Countries reach
20252 and 20303
global nutrition targets
Sustain change
and expand Prioritize
Interventions
Countries strengthen and
sustain system changes to Based on the WHO
support long-term progress technical package to stop
within the country, while obesity, countries select
expanding and sharing their specific national priorities.
knowledge and capacity
beyond national borders.

Implement, track
progress and adjust Identify and agree
on solutions
Countries establish routine Countries develop
practices pairing action with acceleration roadmap based
accountability. While tracking on selected interventions
progress, they use delivery and theory of change,
science and tools to identify identifying strategic
implementation challenges
and solve them or correct
Communicate objectives, indicators,
and engage targets, needed resources
course as needed. and budget.
Countries identify and
engage with stakeholders
and partners using the
acceleration roadmap to
guide implementation,
engage, communicate
and gain buy-in.

1 Feature story on WHO delivery case study + Impact playbook (forthcoming): https://www.who.int/about/accountability/results/who-results-report-2020-2021/delivery-case-study.
2 https://www.un.org/nutrition/sites/www.un.org.nutrition/files/general/pdf/2-nutrition_decade_flyer_commitments_for_web.pdf.
3 https://www.sdgsdashboard.org/.

10 WHO acceleration plan to stop obesity

 The acceleration plan guides and supports the frontrunner countries to deliver
measurable impact through the following structured methodology:

1. Adapt prioritized, simplified and standardized evidence-based interventions and

1 technical packages to their context.

22. Develop a theory of change for each of the selected interventions.

3. Develop and roll-out clear delivery plans, focused on identifying and addressing
3 implementation bottlenecks.

4. Conduct accountability routines with all stakeholders, designed to keep momentum and
4 focus during implementation.

55. Use analytics and modelling to assess issues, design solutions, track progress, course
correct and re-programme as needed throughout the policy implementation cycle.

6. Participate in communities of practice to promote the exchange of best practices and

6 learning between countries.

7. Report on accountability cycles at national, regional and global level including at the
7 World Health Assembly.

BOX 4 It’s all about measurable impact — the WHO delivery approach

The WHO delivery for impact approach provides a structured framework for
implementation that helps to accelerate progress towards the impact that countries want
to achieve. It is based on the core principles that data and planning are not sufficient
endpoints in and of themselves; it is about challenging a business-as-usual mindset and
pushing for actions that increase the likelihood of reaching the desired results. While
other technical resources provide details on what needs to be done, delivery is centered
around how to go about doing it: from identifying priority issues and setting measurable
targets, through to problem-solving and creating an institutional culture of data-driven
action.
The delivery for impact approach is centered on an impact Cycle, with a lens for
on-the-ground implementation and strong emphasis on long-term sustainability for
transformational change. The impact Cycle provides a clear framework accompanied with
tested tools to systematically and effectively advance implementation efforts.
The impact cycle was developed in collaboration with the WHO Evidence-Informed Policy Network (EVIPNet) and adapted from its “evidence ecosystem for impact” framework. For additional
information see: Tracking the Triple Billions and delivering results (who.int).

11
 Workstream 3: Global advocacy

The acceleration plan invests in increased associations to increase awareness of the

advocacy at global, regional and country importance of tackling the obesity epidemic
level to raise awareness, generate political and to contribute
engagement and mobilize resource through to research, The plan calls out to
advocacy campaigns, media and the education and
development of scientific papers. The plan training to assist
people and families
calls out to people and families living with the acceleration living with obesity to
obesity to lobby for the right to prevention, of global action. lobby for the right to
treatment and management of obesity free Finally, it calls
of stigma and to participate in the dialogue for coalition
prevention, treatment
for change. It calls on governments to take building to help and management of
brave action to ensure that the prevention developing a obesity free of stigma
and management of obesity is integrated global alliance
in all policies. It calls on international for equitable, and to participate
organizations and development partners properly in the dialogue for
to prioritize initiatives to build and sustain resourced
the capacity of organizations and networks and effective
change
in obesity reduction and to unlock needed action to address the obesity epidemic
funding that is predictable and sufficient to encompassing prevention, management and
meet the challenge. It calls on professional treatment of the disease.

Workstream 4: Engaging partners

The plan will involve sustained engagement with a wide range
of partners such as the Global Obesity Coalition and include
UN agencies, civil society, the private sector and academic
institutions, focused on deepening established partnerships and
creating new ones.

2X 60% $1 800
PEOPLE CHILDHOOD TRILLION MILLION
People living with obesity Childhood obesity (age 5 to 19) The medical 800 Million people
are twice as likely to be is expected to increase by 60% consequences of around the
hospitalized if tested over the next decade, reaching obesity will cost over world are living with
positive for COVID-19 250 million by 2030 US$1 trillion by 2025 obesity
Source: https://www.worldobesityday.org/assets/downloads/Factsheet_-_English_1.pdf.

12 WHO acceleration plan to stop obesity

Workstream 5: Accountability

The plan places a strong focus on increases; that improved policy efficiency
accountability and reporting to monitor the and coverage and expanded access to obesity
execution of the acceleration plan at global prevention and management services can
level, and for the frontrunner countries. be evidenced; and that the current upward
The key outcomes on which the plan will be trend in obesity rates across the life course
measured are: that the number of countries slows. The reporting process will also provide
implementing effective policies to address an opportunity to identify and learn from
prevention and management of obesity emerging practices.

Figure 3. Ambitious targets and accountability

• Halt the rise of obesity in children under 5, adolescents and adults by 2025
Outcome
• Ending all forms of matnutrition
targets
• Reach 3% or lower prevalence of overweight in children under five years of age by 2025

• Free sugars to less than 10% of total energy intake in adults and children
Intermediate
targets • Increase the rate of exclusive breastfeeding in the first 6 months up to at least 70% by 2030
• 15% relative reduction in the gtobal prevalence of physical inactivity

• Increase coverage of PHC services with prevention, diagnosis and management of obesity in children and
adolescents
• Increase density of nutrition professionals to a minimum levet of 10/100 000 population
Process by 2030
targets • lncrease number of countries with regulations on marketing of foods and non-alcoholic beverages to
children
• AII countries implement national public education communication campaigns on physical activity
• All countries have a national protocol for assessing and counselling on physical activity in primary care

People living with obesity

are at a greater risk from
other chronic diseases such
as diabetes, cardiovascular
disease and certain cancers

Source: https://www.worldobesityday.org/assets/downloads/Factsheet_-_English_1.pdf.

13
BOX 5 Putting the plan into action through inter-country dialogues

Following the endorsement of the WHO acceleration plan to stop obesity at the
75th World Health Assembly (WHA75), a series of inter-country dialogues were convened
with the frontrunner countries in the six WHO regions. The frontrunner countries were
selected under WHO Regional Office guidance, based on epidemiological data and strategic
priorities, policy and political environment, country capacity and expressed interest in or
need for technical assistance in this area.

These countries are receiving combined technical and delivery support from WHO until
2030 with the expectation that the process of test and learn will generate evidence and
expertise for future expansion of the acceleration plan across the globe.

The inter-country dialogues provided an opportunity for countries to share current

initiatives to tackle the obesity epidemic and to discuss how to accelerate their progress
by designing tailored country roadmaps with clearly identified priority interventions to be
tracked across mid-term (2025) and long-term (2030) targets and a clear pathway towards
implementation.

Dialogue participants included policy makers and programme managers working on

nutrition and NCDs from the frontrunner countries, civil society, other UN agencies and
people living with obesity and affected communities.

The inter-country dialogues also established a community to unite countries and other
stakeholders around a shared vision for the response to the obesity epidemic and for
strengthening political commitment to support and finance the response in the 28
frontrunner countries and beyond.

Frontrunner countries are continuing to gather periodically to finalize country acceleration

roadmaps and move to the execution phase. The first deadline for the accountability cycle
is at WHA77 in 2024.

14 WHO acceleration plan to stop obesity

 Obesity is no
The frontrunner countries longer just
a disease of
high-income
countries

United
Kingdom

Slovenia

Portugal Türkiye
Iran (Islamic
Jordan Republic
Kuwait Of)
Egypt
Mexico
Bahrain Qatar

Thailand Philippines
Barbados
Trinidad And Tobago
Panama
Malaysia

Seychelles
Peru Brazil

Tonga

Botswana Mauritius

South Eswatini
Chile Africa
Argentina
Frontrunner countries Uruguay

Not applicable

0 1000 2000 4000 km

Argentina, Bahrain, Barbados, Botswana, Brazil, Chile, Egypt, Eswatini,

Iran (Islamic Republic of), Jordan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico,
Panama, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, Qatar, Seychelles, Slovenia, South
Africa, Thailand, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Türkiye, United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and Uruguay.

The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply the
expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of WHO concerning the legal status of any country,
territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.
Dotted and dashed lines on maps represent approximate border lines for which there may not yet
be full agreement.

15
 No country is immune
to the obesity epidemic

T
he WHO acceleration plan to stop WHO will be reporting on the implementation
obesity focuses on evidence-based, evidence, the challenges and the successes of
cost-effective interventions, which the roll-out in countries in the short, medium
can be adapted to fit country needs. These and long term, and will report on a yearly
include a range of policies to address the basis to Member States through the World
obesogenic environment that is driving the Health Assembly and Regional Committee
trajectory of the epidemic right across the Meetings.
globe. The plan also includes a new WHO
health service delivery framework for the Time is short and the challenge is complex.
prevention and management of obesity.1 This is why the WHO acceleration plan to stop
obesity has taken brave decisions around
The plan is moving towards its execution prioritization, selection and feasibility and
phase with ambitious but achievable drills down to the granularity that can enable
roadmaps agreed by a selection of the most implementation and ensure concrete progress
affected countries for the delivery of their on the ground. The plan provides the recipe
chosen national priorities. for success and the tools to deliver. Now WHO
invites politicians, donors and communities
to rally around a whole of society response
“With strong political to meet one of the world’s most serious
commitment and accountable emerging health crises.

implementation, we can bend

the obesity curve, and make
2030 a healthier and more
sustainable year for all”
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus,
WHO Director-General.2

1 https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240073234.
2 https://www.worldobesity.org/news/changing-perspectives-and-advancing-national-action.

16 WHO acceleration plan to stop obesity

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WHO acceleration plan to stop obesity

ISBN 978-92-4-007563-4 (electronic version)
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For further information, please contact:

Department of Nutrition and Food Safety
https://www.who.int/teams/nutrition-and-food-safety/overview
Email: [email protected]

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