“We want to make the voices of people with obesity heard more”
Achieving success in the fight against obesity, which has become a global health crisis, is possible with the cooperation of patients, policy makers, healthcare professionals, the media and the service sector in many areas. The Association of Weight Management and Combating Obesity (OMD) sets out to support all segments of the society with awareness projects and activities in solving this health problem on March 4th, World Obesity Day.
Emphasizing that the Association of Weight Management and Combating Obesity aims to draw attention to stigma and discrimination, which is one of the invisible obstacles in front of the lives of individuals with obesity, to support the fight by raising awareness of the society about obesity, and to disseminate accurate information about healthy ways of weight management. Aktaş said,
“The problem of obesity has become a serious health problem for all age groups, not only in Turkey but all over the world. According to the health research of TUIK (Turkish Statistical Institute) in 2019, 21.1 percent of the society is struggling with obesity. Obesity, which requires a multidisciplinary approach for its treatment, is at the top of the agenda of health authorities because it triggers the second and third diseases. Obesity affects not only physical health, but also psychological health by causing people to lead an isolated life due to barriers created by forms of communication such as stigmatization and discrimination. For this reason, the fight against obesity needs a multidisciplinary method, both in the field of health and in the social field, where we work hand in hand with the patients.”
“They need to be able to access the right information about the treatment”
Stating that the association aims to reach individuals with obesity and draw attention to their needs not only in health services, but also in every field, Aktaş stated that they want the patients to be active in the studies carried out. Aktaş continued his words as follows: “Obesity, both as a health problem and as an issue concerning public health, is a problem that can be solved by fighting together. For this reason, first of all, individuals with obesity need to be conscious of their rights in health services and to have access to accurate information about treatment. Apart from these, all of us have duties in order for them to create themselves in social life as they wish, and to take part in business life by getting rewarded for their efforts without being discriminated against like everyone else. As an association, we want to make frequent calls on these issues and make the voices of individuals with obesity more heard.”
Saniye Aktaş stated that this year, as the association, they want to emphasize the importance of supporting the psychological struggles of individuals with obesity in the treatment process and in their social lives, “We are also planning to organize seminars in cooperation with municipalities and to raise awareness and awareness with expert interviews from our social media accounts.”
“We are strong together in the fight against obesity”
Stating that as an association, they want to undertake important projects in order to support the needs of individuals with obesity, Aktaş said, “One of the first goals of our association is to carry out scientific and social studies with the aim of disseminating accurate information through experts in weight management, drawing attention to environmental factors that trigger obesity, and contributing to public health. When we activate our projects, we are already very excited to share them with the public. We want to reach as many people as possible and increase the number of our members. Together we are strong in the fight against obesity.” He gave his message and said, “Those who want to get information not only about obesity but also about proper weight management and to take part in activities as a member of the association can get information from the website of the obesity fight association.” he called for support.
