Obesity is not only one of the main health emergencies of our time, it is also one of the diseases most narrated through stereotypes, simplifications and clichés. From this awareness he was born Talking about obesity, beyond the stigma and clichésthe conference which took place on 23 June in Milan and which brought together doctors, psychologists, patient associations and journalists to reflect on an increasingly central theme: the role of information in building public perception of the disease.
During the meeting, hosted at the Blend Tower, the need to overcome a narrative that tends to attribute obesity exclusively to individual choices emerged forcefully. The experts who spoke underlined how the scientific community today considers it a chronic, progressive and relapsing pathology, determined by the interaction of genetic, metabolic, psychological and environmental factors.
Because language affects the perception of the disease
The issue is not just about health. According to data presented during the conference, in Italy over 23 million people are overweight and more than 6 million live with obesity. Numbers that affect the sustainability of the healthcare system, productivity and quality of life, making disease management an issue that increasingly affects the world of economics and public policies.
Among the topics addressed was the weight of the words used by the media: definitions, images and narrative schemes can contribute to strengthening the stigma or, on the contrary, favor a greater understanding of the phenomenon. An aspect which, according to the speakers, also influences people’s propensity to ask for medical support and to adhere to treatment programmes.
Italy leads the way in recognizing obesity
The change that is affecting the Italian regulatory and healthcare framework also emerged in the debate. Obesity is now increasingly addressed as a complex pathology and not as a simple consequence of incorrect lifestyles. A turning point that is accompanied by new diagnostic approaches, capable of going beyond body mass index (BMI) alone, and a growing institutional attention towards prevention and patient care.
The Milanese initiative, promoted with the support of Eli Lilly, has therefore turned the spotlight on an often overlooked aspect of the public debate: the way in which an illness is described can influence not only social perception, but also health policies, access to treatment and the ability to deal with a phenomenon that affects millions of people.
From prevention to treatment: the challenge of the healthcare system
The recognition of obesity as a chronic disease is also helping to change the approach of institutions and the healthcare system. The growing diffusion of the pathology in fact requires strategies that are not limited to prevention, but which guarantee adequate diagnosis, assistance and treatment paths.
In this scenario, the issue of access to care and economic sustainability takes on particular importance. Intervening early on the disease means not only improving the quality of life of patients, but also reducing the burden of associated complications in the long term, which represent one of the main cost items for modern healthcare systems.
