We fight disease every day… and dream of the day we don’t have to
Obesity and other serious chronic diseases – such as heart disease and diabetes – pose a significant threat to global health, affecting millions of people and straining healthcare systems. There are many reasons why the prevalence of these diseases has been rising in recent decades. One factor is increased life expectancy, another is genetic disposition. While some risk factors are not preventable, many of the factors leading to obesity and other serious chronic diseases can be prevented.
Understanding the root causes of obesity as a gateway to many other health issues is key to reducing the burden of serious chronic diseases in our society. To start putting this complex picture together, we must first acknowledge the profound influence environmental and social factors have on health.
Who we are, how and where we live and the food we eat all play a part in our health. Economic and social inequalities, low levels of physical activity and food systems that fail to provide healthy nutrition to all people equally means obesity prevalence is increasing fastest among vulnerable communities, with negative impacts on health.
Driving a sustainable business and living up to our company values as a company compels us to look at issues holistically and proactively address the underlying drivers behind the rise in serious chronic disease.
Keep reading and see how we work with chronic disease prevention.
Today 1 in 5 children live with overweight or obesity, with strong socioeconomic disparities in health outcomes.
The Childhood Obesity Prevention Initiative under Cities for Better Health aims to accelerate the prevention of childhood obesity in disadvantaged, urban communities globally.
The initiative is driven by the belief that all children should have the opportunity to grow up healthy regardless of who they are and where they live.
Read more about our specific efforts to prevent childhood obesity
Globally, around 40 million children under the age of five are overweight, putting them at risk of early onset type 2 diabetes and adult obesity.
These children may also face challenges in reaching their full potential. Being overweight can contribute to stigmatisation, poor socialisation and emotional difficulties, and, in some cases, reduced educational attainment.
Since 2019, Novo Nordisk and UNICEF have partnered to prevent childhood overweight and obesity across the world. The goal is to contribute to the prevention of childhood overweight and obesity by building healthy environments that enable and empower children to eat well and be active.
A key focus of the partnership is to advocate for systemic changes to shift the focus away from individual behaviour and towards enabling environments and society.
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