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Health
Getting to Grips with Obesity
Obesity has been recognized in the last decade as a global epidemic. No longer confined to the developed world, it is a problem which affects almost every region, with only South and East Asia relatively unaffected. One billion adults are estimated to be overweight, with a further 475 million clinically obese. This is a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes, which is one of the most serious public health threats in the world today, as well as a number of other conditions including cardio-vascular disease and some cancers. Given the implications for food production and its ecological impact, obesity is also an issue for sustainable development.
Whether with a view to individual well-being, population health, health care services being put under near intolerable strain, or environmental sustainability, it is urgent that the problem of obesity be tackled. Better nutrition and appropriate exercise are obviously critical. But obesity is what we call a 'wicked problem' - multi-dimensional, engaging diverse stakeholders and interest groups, and touching on tricky issues around personal liberty and state intervention. How can we best collaborate to get the policy priorities right? And who needs to be round the table?
To address this question we will gather an international group of Salzburg Fellows, from the worlds of health and nutrition, government and politics, education, environment and development, sport, and the food industry - as well as lively critics of all sectors. This survey of the field will lay the groundwork for a possible future series at the Salzburg Global Seminar to explore different aspects of what is turning into a major challenge of the 21st century.
Date
Jun 14 - Jun 17, 2013
Session no.
Fellow 38
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Program
AGENDA
Friday 14 June
From 17.00 Arrivals
19.00 Introductions and reception, stair hall of the Château
19.30 Dinner
Saturday 15 June
09.00 Introduction
John Lotherington, Program Director, Salzburg Global Seminar
Celina Gorre, Executive Director, Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases
09:30 What is the global scale of the problem? Implications for the coming generation
Dr Tim Marsh, the Uk Health Forum, (UKHF)
10.00 Plenary discussion
10.45 Break
11.15 Obesity: Understanding the causes to develop informed action
Professor Wendy Brown, School of Human Movement Studies, University of Queensland
11.45 Plenary discussion
12.30 Lunch
14.00 Case study from New York City: Policies to Nudge Beverage Choices - Soda Taxes and Beyond
Professor Claire Wang, Department of Health Policy and Management, Columbia Mailman School of Public Health, New York City
14.30 Plenary discussion
15.30 Break
16.00 Break-out groups
17:00 Break-out groups report back (to 17:30)
19.00 Reception
19.30 Dinner
Sunday 16 June
09.00 Childhood Obesity: a whole environment behavior change approach
Dr Mihela Erjavec, Lecturer in Developmental Psychology, Senior Researcher Food Dudes Health, School of Psychology, Bangor University
Discussant: Margret Ploum, Teamleader Preventing Overweight, Netherlands Nutrition Centre, the Hague
09.30 Plenary discussion
10.30 Break
11.00 Case Study from the UK: the School Food Plan
Myles Bremner, Chief Executive, Garden Organic, and Expert Panel member for the School Food Plan
11.30 Plenary discussion
12.30 Lunch
14.30 Break-out groups
15.30 Break-out groups report back
16.00 Break
16.30 Coalition building and advocacy
Round table
17.30 Conclusions: agenda for change
18:00 Celina Gorre, Executive Director, Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases
19.00 Reception
19.30 Dinner
Monday 17 June
Departures after breakfast
Participant Profile
Participants are welcome from the worlds of health and nutrition, government and politics, education, environment and development, sport, the food industry, and concerned citizens - as well as lively critics of all sectors. This survey of the field will lay the groundwork for a possible future series at the Salzburg Global Seminar to explore different aspects of what is turning into a major challenge of the 21st century.
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