There are many reasons why the prevalence of serious chronic diseases such as obesity, heart disease and diabetes has been rising in recent decades.1-4 Some of this increase is due to risk factors that are not preventable, such as genetics and the fact that humans are living longer. However, in many cases, obesity and serious chronic disease can be prevented.5
Understanding the root causes of obesity and its complications is key to reducing the burden of serious chronic diseases in our society, and this starts with acknowledging the profound influence environmental and social factors have on health.
Who we are, how we live today, the places we live in, and the food we eat all play their part in our health.6-8 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 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.
Globally, over 390 million children and adolescents aged 5-19 years are living with overweight or obesity. The prevalence has increased dramatically, with childhood obesity rates rising from 4% in 1975 to over 18% in 2016 according to WHO data. This represents one of the most serious public health challenges of the 21st century, affecting countries across all income levels.
Approximately 55-80% of children with obesity will continue to live with obesity into adulthood. The likelihood increases with age – adolescents with obesity have an even higher probability (70-80%) of becoming adults with obesity. Early intervention is critical, as obesity in childhood can lead to serious health complications throughout life, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and certain cancers.
Childhood obesity happens when several factors come together. Children today eat more high-calorie foods that are low in nutrients, like sugary drinks and processed snacks. They're also less active than previous generations, spending more time sitting. But it's not just about individual choices. The environment around us makes unhealthy options the easiest and cheapest ones to choose. Add in things like aggressive food marketing to children, how our cities are designed, and family income levels, and you can see why this is such a complex problem.
Preventing childhood obesity is crucial because it affects children's immediate health, educational outcomes, and quality of life, while also setting the foundation for lifelong health. Children with obesity face increased risks of breathing difficulties, fractures, hypertension, early markers of cardiovascular disease, insulin resistance, and psychological effects. Prevention is more effective and less costly than treatment, and it helps break the intergenerational cycle of obesity.
Childhood obesity prevention requires a multi-sectoral approach including: promoting breastfeeding and healthy complementary feeding; ensuring access to nutritious, affordable foods; implementing policies to restrict marketing of unhealthy foods to children; creating environments that support physical activity; providing nutrition education in schools; and engaging communities, families, and healthcare providers. Successful prevention requires action at individual, community, and policy levels, which is why partnerships like the UNICEF collaboration and initiatives such as Cities for Better Health are essential.
Roth GA, Mensah GA, Johnson CO, et al. Global Burden of Cardiovascular Diseases and Risk Factors, 1990–2019: Update From the GBD 2019 Study. J Am Coll Cardiol. Dec 22 2020;76(25):2982–3021. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2020.11.010
World Health Organization (WHO). Factsheet: Obesity and overweight. Updated March 2024. Accessed October 2024. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/obesity-and-overweight
Lovic D, Piperidou A, Zografou I, Grassos H, Pittaras A, Manolis A. The growing epidemic of diabetes mellitus. Current vascular pharmacology. 2020;18(2):104–109.
International Diabetes Federation (IDF). IDF Diabetes Atlas, 10th ed. 2021. Accessed March 2022.
De Lorenzo A, Romano L, Di Renzo L, Di Lorenzo N, Cenname G, Gualtieri P. Obesity: A preventable, treatable, but relapsing disease. Nutrition. 2020;71:110615.
Lipek T, Igel U, Gausche R, Kiess W, Grande G. Obesogenic environments: environmental approaches to obesity prevention. J Pediatr Endocrinol Metab. May 2015;28(5–6):485–495. doi:10.1515/jpem-2015-0127
Sassi F. Obesity and the economics of prevention. Books. 2010;
Plantinga AJ, Bernell S. The association between urban sprawl and obesity: is it a two-way street? Journal of regional Science. 2007;47(5):857–879.
World Health Organization. Physical Activity. Accessed March 2024. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/physical-activity