Health starts with lifestyleBY ERIKA LOH & CAROLA MACAGNO
- 7 April 2025
- Posted by: Competere
- Categories: Balanced Lifestyle, highlights, News, Obesity & NCDs
Every year, on April 7th, we celebrate World Health Day – an opportunity to raise public awareness about global health challenges. Among these, obesity remains one of the most urgent emergencies, especially due to its strong link with cardiovascular diseases, making constant efforts in prevention and the promotion of healthy lifestyles absolutely essential.
CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES: THE LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH WORLDWIDE
Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the number one cause of death globally, accounting for around 17.9 million deaths per year – over 30% of all global deaths. What about in Italy? The statistics are equally alarming: CVDs are responsible for 30.8% of total deaths, with over 217,000 fatalities in 2021 alone (Italian National Institute of Health).
Heart attacks, strokes, and ischemic diseases not only compromise individuals’ health but also place enormous pressure on healthcare systems, generating high costs for long-term care and treatments. The impact of CVDs extends well beyond personal health, affecting the entire social and economic fabric, with consequences that touch every aspect of daily life.
OBESITY: A SILENT ENEMY
CVDs are closely linked to modifiable risk factors, such as an unbalanced diet, lack of physical activity and tobacco use.
Obesity – one of the primary conditions predisposing individuals to CVDs – is a true global health emergency. With over 1 billion people worldwide classified as obese, more people now die from complications related to obesity than from malnutrition. This is a steadily growing phenomenon, especially in middle and high-income countries, with projections estimating that 50% of the global population could be obese by 2035.
In Italy, more than 6 million people suffer from obesity, while 33% of the population is overweight. And it’s not just an aesthetic issue: obesity is a real threat to health, significantly increasing the risk of heart attacks, strokes, diabetes, and hypertension. As if that weren’t enough, the social and economic costs of obesity are enormous: in 2020, healthcare spending related to obesity reached 13.34 billion euros, equivalent to 0.8% of Italy’s GDP. This should prompt serious reflection on the urgent need to prevent and address this global pandemic with awareness and determination.
NEW AND EFFECTIVE PUBLIC POLICIES
Current policies aimed at reducing obesity are failing. Taxes, front-of-pack labeling, and product reformulations are proving disappointing and bring with them dangerous unintended consequences – for both the economy and individual freedoms.
Obesity is a complex and multidisciplinary issue that requires a multifactorial approach in both prevention and treatment. Poor nutrition, sedentary lifestyles, and unhealthy habits are among the leading causes – but tackling them individually isn’t enough. What’s needed is an integrated vision involving institutions, communities, and citizens alike.
PREVENTION POLICIES
The good news? Obesity and cardiovascular diseases are largely preventable. Adopting a healthy lifestyle – which includes a balanced diet, regular physical activity, and eliminating harmful habits like smoking – is key to protecting heart health and overall well-being.
In this context, the Mediterranean Diet plays a strategic role. In its original and broader meaning, it is not just a dietary model but a lifestyle based on balance between nutrition, social connection, and psychological well-being. It does not exclude any nutrients but instead promotes variety, quality and moderation.
However, to turn good intentions into real change, a more ambitious and structured effort is essential. We need truly effective public policies that go beyond superficial interventions and address the root causes of obesity:
- Investment in nutrition education – starting from schools – is critical, promoting a conscious understanding of food and its value for health.
- We must rethink our environments – urban, school, and workplace – so that they naturally encourage daily movement and make physical activity an integral part of everyday life.
- We must build a widespread culture of health – one that supports individuals in their daily choices and values well-being as a shared good.
Prevention should not be merely an individual aspiration: it must become a collective priority, supported by coordinated actions and long-term vision.
A COLLECTIVE CHALLENGE
Tackling obesity is a priority for public health and for the future of our healthcare systems. Therapeutic action alone is not enough: while medication may help manage the condition, the real challenge lies in prevention. This effort requires everyone’s contribution – institutions, families, educators, businesses, and citizens – to build a more balanced, active, and informed future.
Read Obesity: The Pandemic of the 21st Century. A new way to diagnose it>>>