The ObObs, Observatory of Obesity

www.obobs.net

A blog 

for consumers and professionals to exchange 

&

to raise awareness and respond to the emergency of the obesity epidemic

[to download the presentation, click here]

Obtaining the first genetic map of obesity, continuous increase of adult obesity, alarming preventions on childhood obesity… To respond to this situation, a committee of experts created an obesity observatory, the obobs, a new multidisciplinary approach of a positive fight against obesity, proposing information and prevention, interactivity and proximity throughout the blog www.obobs.net. 

The ObObs: accelerate decision-making at the hands of obesity epidemic

“Although it is often recalled, the emergency case ends-up failing. Twenty years ago, obesity was finger-pointing but today it is relatively well integrated in our society”, declares Dr Pierre Azam, nutritionist, founder of the ObObs. Nevertheless, obese individuals have a dangerous ground, turning sometimes quickly classical health problems into serious diseases with emotional, psychological or physical suffering and preventable premature death. 

Thus, the ObObs, arising from a common wish of multidisciplinary experts to compare each others point of views in order to exchange and fight against obesity epidemic, suggests two approaches :

To pull the alarm cord and participate in the awareness of the urgency to take action based on the actual condition of obesity in France, particularly with children;

To make proposals to politicians, institutions, industrials, associations, foundations… affected, directly or indirectly, by the obesity issue in order to guide decisions. 

and is aiming two targets :

As far as the consumers are concerned, the ObObs wishes to reintroduce the trust between patients and caregivers by providing targets fitting the reality and personality of each patient. In view of the “terrorism” of the hygiene and balanced diet, the Observatory of Obesity positions itself in a proactive, human and pragmatic manner. The challenge is to raise awareness amongst patients regarding the need of a comprehensive care by working, in particular, on prevention and education. Food quality and control, the concept of wellness through oral tradition and the pleasure of eating a well-integrated food in today’s life, for children and adults, are also areas of reflection and intervention for the ObObs. 

Regarding professionals, the ObObs wishes to act in addition to institutional missions and today's medical research in order to ensure faster concrete decision-making. “Throughout the label established and embodied, the ObObs will take the lead or support a group of studies and actions in order to offer the wider range possible of concrete tools to fight against this disaster already known as national cause in several countries" continues Dr Pierre Azam. 

A multidisciplinary committee to take a look at without compromise

The ObObs committee – made up of university health professional experts and liberals, one sociologist, one professional of the nutrition communication, one physical trainer, one psychiatrist, one representative of obesity associations - will work in two different areas: prevention and education by sharing, in particular, information and testimonials on the blog www.obobs.net. 

The areas of reflection and intervention of the ObObs are not only limited to exchanges between experts. By opening this observatory, specifically on the web, we aim to deliver citizens' voices and to provide a speech in which everyone is recognizable. 

With the categories “Action”, “Education” and “Prevention”; an information thread; comments and experience collection, www.obobs.net is designed as an interactivity and proximity place intended for consumers and professionals but also for their patients. The objective is still to move forward together and as numerous as possible, towards new positive solutions and reasonable tools that – even if they are not perfect from a medical or scientific point of view – can be implemented. 

“The main objective of the Observatory of Obesity is to stop the epidemic. To observe means inevitably to act – either directly or indirectly – by pooling the available strengths to reduce this disaster that our children should not be the victims of", ends-up saying Dr Pierre Azam.

 News : Partnership & Commissions

 We are proud for the second time to be partner with the European Obesity Day.

For two years now the ObObs provides contents, try to point out some controversy and promote some headways to stop the epidemic.

To involve more the major actors than can work together and make things more concrete, we are working for some months to develop Partnership & Commissions with some brands among the food processing industry.

Divided into different themes we planned to create 5 Commissions : “sweet taste”, “salt”, “fat”, “weight-loss drug”, “physical activity”.

The “sweet taste” Commission started around the controversy about aspartame and is already in action.

The “fat” Commission is about to be created, as for the “weight-loss drug” one.

The ObObs intends to work part with the support of the analysis of the web to give us some good directions and part with our own polls and studies.

One of our priorities stays the child obesity and how to prevent it the best.

Our first Partner for a year now is Nutrition & Santé deeply involved for years in the field of nutritional research.

It constantly innovates to offer food solutions adapted to the pace of modern life, but ones solidly rooted in natural ingredients and in food as a genuine pleasure.

Building this link between nutrition and health is both a vocation and a professional engagement - something this group has been doing since its very creation.

We are glad to work with them and to promote their N&S Awards.

For the second consecutive year, Nutrition & Santé is supporting scientific research and health initiatives by awarding annually two prizes in the fields of obesity prevention and slimming.

Two prizes will be awarded in the year 2011: The Nutrition & Santé Science Award for Obesity Research for academic researchers and the Nutrition & Santé Medical Award for Weight Management for prescribing health professionals.

The objective of these prizes is to encourage research and initiatives in the domains of nutrition-based obesity prevention, understanding eating behaviour, weight loss, weight management and relevant nutritional therapies. Click here to read more