The Leopoldina emphasizes that preventing obesity requires a comprehensive, long-term approach that takes into account both social conditions and individual behavior.
The goal must be to create healthy living conditions, facilitate health-promoting behavior, and identify various high-risk groups in the population at an early stage.
Early prevention is considered to be very important. This should begin during pregnancy and in the first years of life, for example through programs in kindergartens and schools that promote health and physical activity skills.
Nevertheless, the Leopoldina also calls for government measures such as a sugar tax, a reduction in VAT on healthy foods, and advertising bans on unhealthy products, especially those aimed at children and young people.
The publication of the statement and the demands contained therein were also expressly welcomed by the German Obesity Association (DAG) and the Working Group on Obesity in Children and Adolescents (AGA).
Further information (in German):
Leopoldina Fokus: Prävention stärken & neue Therapieansätze nutzen: Wie lässt sich die Adipositas-Epidemie eindämmen?
Website zur Arbeitsgruppe der Leopoldina „Strategien zur Prävention und Therapie der Adipositas“
