World obesity day occurs annually on March 4th. Why spend a day bringing awareness to obesity? Because obesity is preventable! Work Right NW’s core mission is to change healthcare and one of the primary ways we can start to change healthcare is through prevention. We need to stop waiting until we are sick or hurt to seek care. 

WorldObesityDay.org outlines some surprising truths and debunks stereotypes about the disease. Number 4 on their obesity fact sheet is ‘eat less, move more’ does not “fix” obesity. A common answer to obesity has often been that it is merely a matter of diet and exercise. Obesity, however, is not due to a lack of willpower. The roots of obesity are diverse and can span from biology and genes to a lack of access to healthcare and exposure to healthy foods. 

Obesity is also not just about weight. Yes, our “Body Mass Index”, or BMI, is used to measure obesity but is not the only measure. A “healthy weight” for you and your number on the BMI scale may not coincide. Preventing and treating obesity is not just about weight. It is about improving overall health as obesity is a large risk factor for many other diseases including heart disease, diabetes, and some cancers. 

Obesity is a vital topic to tackle for injury prevention as well. Being overweight or obese is a risk factor for many musculoskeletal injuries in the knees, hips, feet. It is also a risk factor for slips, trips, and falls as balance is negatively affected with obesity.

If you have concerns, want additional information, and/or are ready to make a change, be sure to reach out to your personal physician so they can help guide you on the best way for you to make healthy changes.