Circulating the world like a silent pandemic, obesity affects approximately 1 in 8 people, with adult obesity rates more than doubling since 1990. If the numbers of obesity and overweight keep growing at the current rate, by 2030, life expectancy will decline for the first time in history. What’s even more concerning is that adolescent obesity has quadrupled in the same time, with more than 390 million youth aged five to 19 classified as overweight, including 160 million living with obesity. Defined as ‘excessive fat deposits,’ obesity goes beyond the surface, severely impairing health over time.
Among the most popular consequences of obesity are type 2 diabetes and heart disease, with the latter being the leading cause of death worldwide. It significantly reduces the quality of living, affecting mobility, sleeping patterns, and mental health. It is arguably the most complex paradox of today’s world because, while the gravity of obesity is crystal clear, the path forward is far from transparent.
Policy advisor Pietro Paganini, President & Co-Founder of Competere, dedicated his career to solving the enigmatic obesity labyrinth. For over a decade, he has been combining his innate passion, multidisciplinary background, and scientific precision to offer pragmatic and effective strategies, ones designed to empower people to make the right choices without policy enforcement.
At the root of this global pandemic is, as Paganini believes, a widespread lack of education regarding nutrition and balance. He highlights common practices used to deter or encourage customers to make a purchase. “A colored scale, like the Nutri-Score, plastered all over packaging doesn’t fuel awareness,” he stresses. “There is a lot more to food and nutrition than a simplistic red-orange-green ranking.”
As he emphasizes, deeming certain products ‘bad’ simply because they contain sugar or saturated fats isn’t comprehensive, leading to people feeling guilty whenever they add them to their baskets. “Something designed to ‘empower’ customers shouldn’t raise an alarm whenever they buy a snack or a soda. A healthy lifestyle is all about balance and moderation,” he adds. While red labels prompt individuals to avoid certain types of food, green ones, on the other hand, may lead to overconsumption. Paganini warns against either extreme, as both carry a risk of losing a much-needed balance between nutrition and indulgence.
To combat obesity on a large scale, the public’s dietary choices need to be conscious. Existing strategies, however, leave a lot of room for improvement, as they focus more on regulating people’s behavior rather than equipping them with the tools to make informed decisions on their own. From taxing sugar and saturated fats to offering reformulation incentives, policymakers work hard to alleviate the burden of obesity. But this thinking is linear, leading to these efforts being overshadowed by the multifactorial nature of noncommunicable diseases.
For instance, a product may be ranked ‘green’ because of its protein to sugars to fiber ratio. While its nutritional value may be beneficial to one individual, another person, someone with diabetes, may mistake it for sugar-free because of the positive labeling, and consuming it may lead to health risks.
Additionally, obesity often co-exists in the same nations, communities, and even households as malnutrition, proving that it’s not confined to excessive caloric intake. Especially in underserved areas, taxing products for the addition of sugar or fats has critical consequences, as it takes away an already limited choice. In nutrition, there is no space for cookie-cutter and one-size-fits-all methods. Therefore, Paganini advocates for educational initiatives that empower people to make choices that are right for their personal needs and situations.
With the help of technology, like AI and IoT such as wearables, awareness can be raised globally without barriers, aiding people with caloric intake tools, personalized dietary plans, and tailored suggestions to achieve a balanced, healthy lifestyle. In an era where restrictive diets and policies are becoming more prominent, Pietro Paganini’s message resounds louder than ever before: Instead of focusing on obsolete policies, dedicate time to understanding how technology and education can empower people.
“Policies and labels won’t give you a recipe for a healthy lifestyle. And a diet is so much more than the food we eat. Before it became a buzzword, diaita meant ‘a way of life’ in ancient Greece. It wasn’t about calories or nutrients; it was about enjoying life, socializing, and indulging without shame,” he says. “Nutrition doesn’t make sense without a happy mind. That’s the key to unlocking a balanced, fulfilled, healthy lifestyle.”
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