WOD Map

I was weighing 102kg in January 2021, I had Irritable Bowel Syndrome and poor self esteem as a consequence of obesity. I started fasting at least 8 hours a day, avoiding fatty food and soft drinks, doing push ups every morning, walking 1 km every day and sleeping regularly. I lost 30 kg in 3 years ago, my Irritable Bowel Syndrome has healed and my self esteem has increased significantly.

On March 4th 2024 The Obesity Collective launched a new report A Time for Action, which looks at the most recent statistics and calls for collective action to improve the health and wellbeing of Australians. In the past 20 years, Australian governments have drafted numerous strategy frameworks to tackle obesity, with another National Obesity Strategy launched on World Obesity Day March 2022. Since then, little has been done to implement this strategy. No lasting comprehensive action flowed from previous and current strategies and, as a result, Australia is paying a significant health and wellbeing price, as this report shows.

After completing my M.D. medicine I worked as senior resident in Endocrinology Department of one of the biggest government set up in New Delhi India, named Safdarjung hospital. There I had exposure to patients of diabetes and obesity. Once I entered into clinical practice I found that roots of most of the chronic diseases like diabetes, hypertention, heart disease, stroke, etc lies in obesity.

So gradually I found myself more and more involved in obesity management. At my clinic I never miss an opportunity to talk to my patients regarding the adverse effects of extra weight. During the Corona Pandemic I realized that the problem of obesity is getting worse as people are trapped in lockdowns with minimal outside activity. Hence for social awareness I created a Facebook page where I kept on sharing various facts about food, exercise, sleep, healthy lifestyle, etc. I was persistent for my work which continued till today. I have more than 11000 followers on Facebook page. I took part in various public awareness plateforms like Halt Diabetes to talk about weight,diabetes, lifestyle,food. I also took part in an international conference (World Conference of Spiritual Sciences) talking about obesity.

A milestone of my journey was my SCOPE CERTIFICATION which helped me, guided me in my fight against obesity. And this year specially I am very happy and excited to participate in various activities on World Obesity Day. This is my story which is and will on go against diabetes.

Lisa is no stranger to struggling with body weight, having dealt with being 100+ pounds overweight for almost 35 years! Finally being sick of battling with the scale, in September 2019, she decided to change her life around. Since doing so, she has lost over 100 pounds Lisa is still on her wellness journey as it truly is a lifestyle, continually and consciously taking care of your health in mind, body, and spirit every day. Along the way, she has connected with hundreds of other amazing women who are struggling with similar body issues. She has known her entire life that her purpose is to help others - after all, sometimes it truly takes a village. Knowing this she's created an environment and a community that helps teach other women how to be their very best selves! That means being in a body you LOVE and one that serves you with strength, energy, and longevity for years to come.

I’m, Sabith Hasan Khan (26), a graduate of the public health discipline at Jahangirnagar University, Bangladesh. At present, I’m working for a non-governmental organization. I’m writing here to tell my story of how I fought and won over my obesity.When I first joined university in 2017 my weight was around 73 kg with 5 feet 6 inches height. My Body Mass Index (BMI) was higher than normal. I felt that my uncontrolled eating habits, idleness, almost zero physical exercise, and working late at night without proper sleep were responsible for my obesity. Before 2017 to until 2020, my carbohydrate intake always exceeded my bodily requirement. At that time, soft drinks like Coca-Cola and sweets topped my food list almost every day. Not finding clothes, due to large waistline, at store often made me embarrassed. My classmates made fun of me and often joke about my physical condition, which made me feel very shy and importantly disappointed. Despite all this, I could not give up my habit of overeating, and I occasionally went out to restaurants where the food was cooked with extra oil, extra-tasting salt, and excessive sugar. These factors accelerated my weight gain, resulting in my weight reaching 86 kg at the beginning of 2020. However, in the same year I read a column on obesity in a national daily and learned about diseases associated with it.Not only that I was not aware about these things before, even tough I was studying public health. It was the national daily column and the embarrassment served by my fellow people that made my desire firm to become what I am today. I started to following a diet prepared by me, searching literature in internet (I would suggest my reader to consult a nutritionist or relevant doctor). I replaced eating bread with having only a boiled egg and black coffee in the morning, reduced the amount of rice in the lunch, and started eating vegetables at dinner with less carbohydrate food. I went to bed early at night and get up early in the morning to run and do some physical exercise. Physical exercise included push ups, planks, and sit-ups. Initially, I did these exercises sparingly, but gradually I increased the level of exercise, which accelerated my weight loss process. After a couple of months, I noticed a slight change. The lethargic feeling and fatigue started to fade away. And from here, I started work even harder. In 2020, when the Coronavirus hit the whole world, everyone went into quarantine (in home). By this time, I stopped running or walking outside. But I increased the level of other physical exercises at home and continued following the diet as well. I cut out all sugary foods and ate fewer complex carbohydrates. I took potatoes, chickpeas, and vegetables as a source of carbohydrates. At late 2020, my weight bar came down to 69 kg from 86 kg. Finally, my change was visible and I started to experience life in a different way. I joined gym and started weight lifting. As a result of regular weight lifting, my muscles becamestrengthened, and my body fat percentage lowered than before. Following the suggestion of my trainer, I increased the amount of protein in my diet which was necessary for my muscle building. At the beginning of 2021, after exercising for 4 months, my weight came down to 65 kg, and my BMI was 23.1, which is normal according to the BMI scale.My neighborhood and friends were surprised to see this change.Currently, I am exercising 10 minutes a day due to my engagement in professional life, but I continued following my diet. The prevalence of general obesity is increasing globally both in developed and under developing nations like Bangladesh. The high increasing pattern of the population in the country has been found to be linked with rapid urbanization and an epidemiological changing pattern from communicable to non-communicable diseases. Moreover, evidence on the burden of obesity and associated factors are lacking or insufficient, especially among young adults in Bangladesh. As a public health student and development professional, I would request government and development partners to provide resource to measure the prevalence and related risk factors of obesity among university students of all divisional regions in Bangladesh.

My name is Rita Simorra and I am a dietitian. I work for a Primary Care Centre in Barcelona, Spain. Recently we have gained a grant to set up an Obesity Department within the primary care (probably the first one in Spain...). The main objective is to offer a tailored treatment to people who suffer from obesity by a multidisciplinary team (doctor, nurse, dietitian, psicologist). Also, we are working hard with the paediatric team to enhance obesity prevention in childhood. We are planning a campaign in order to raise awareness about this chronic condition and the importance of its prevention. 

I am a Pediatrician in private practice for 40 years. I've seen the rise in obesity in children over the years and know that we cannot make gains without getting the buy in of the entire family, including the parents. I developed a 5 week family obesity workshop in my office and conducted this only after the families signed contracts to attend together. The results were amazing and the support of each family to one another was the most surprising finding. I put my program points in my first book: "The Happy Healthy Revolution : A Working Parent's Guide to Achieving Wellness as a Family" . I did several cohorts (about 5 families in each group ) at no charge to the families.

Additionally, I started a Walk with a Doc Oahu free weekly walking group 8 years ago so that my families could talk to me outside the office and continue to launch their journey with encouragement. When the Covid-19 pandemic arrived, everything came to a sudden halt.

I have restarted my weekly walking group, "Walk with a Doc Oahu" and people of all ages join me, especially the Seniors, who enjoy not only the exercise and education, but also the encouragement and fellowship. I have expanded this past year with social events like "Cook with a doc", "Craft with a doc" and an upcoming "Dance with a doc".

I am one person, but I am trying to reach out to my community in a small, but hopefully impactful way. I hope the ripples of hope and information I plant in our young families as well as the grandparents, begin to spread into the coming generations.

Facebook Page: Walk with a Doc Oahu

Instagram: wwadoahu

Website: weewellnesscenter.com

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