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INTRODUCTION

World Obesity Day takes place on Saturday 4 March.

This campaign activation toolkit is designed to support you in planning and developing your campaign. Read on for tips and resources to create powerful campaign messages, publicity materials and social media communications to maximise engagement with World Obesity Day 2023.

If you would like more detailed information on the campaign brand, including our logos, icons, colours and typography and how to use them, please download our 2023 brand book.

key messaging

Campaign Narrative:

The theme for World Obesity Day 2023 is Changing Perspectives: Let’s Talk About Obesity. Because when we talk, debate and share we can change minds, shift norms and transform health outcomes.

Between now and the UNGA meeting on NCDs in 2025, we have the opportunity to spotlight how obesity intersects across systems. With important conversations and real stories, we can help people to acknowledge obesity’s many roots and dimensions and inspire them to take effective action for better health. This isn’t going to be easy. The conversations we need to have will be tough ones - they will push the boundaries and seek to upend the ideas that have too long undermined efforts to create meaningful change in health and wider societal systems. But difficult conversations are the most powerful; to influence and mobilise policy initiatives; to upend misconceptions; to turn words into action.

Together we can create a better outlook for obesity and the 1.9 billion people predicted to be living with it by 2035. Because this is one target we want to miss.

Let's talk about obesity.

Campaign Pillars:

1. Let's Talk About Obesity

A conversation can be all it takes to change perspectives. Whether it is healthcare professionals expanding their discussions, the general public sparking a national conversation, or policymakers taking action inspired by debate, every conversation counts.

2. Changing Perspectives From Me to We

We need to change the perception of obesity as an individual problem, educating people to acknowledge the role society and other factors play. Nobody can change their country on their own, so we're encouraging people to build movements, to show that obesity is a collective issue requiring a collective response.

3. Turning Conversation into Action

Everything starts with a conversation, but the purpose of building movements is ultimately to inspire action! We need national policymakers to create National Action Plans for addressing obesity. By channelling these new perspectives through the movements we're building, we can influence policymakers to prioritise obesity and take proactive and evidence-led action.

Key Stats

For this year’s World Obesity Day, we want to help people understand the scale and impact of obesity around the world. According to current estimates:

  • Nearly 1 billion people were living with obesity in 2020. That is 1 in 7 people.
  • 1.9 billion people around the world will be living with obesity in 2035. That is almost 1 in 4 people.
  • Almost 400 million children around the world will be living with obesity in 2035. That is almost 1 in 5 children.
  • 1.5 billion adults around the world will be living with obesity in 2035.
  • Over 4 billion people around the world will be living with overweight or obesity in 2035.
  • Childhood obesity will increase by over 100% from 2020 to 2035.
  • Prevalence among boys will increase from 10% to 20% (100% increase).
  • Prevalence among girls will increase from 8% to 18% (125% increase).
  • Adult obesity will increase by over 60% from 2020 to 2035.
  • Prevalence among men will increase from 14% to 23% (73% increase).
  • Prevalence among women will increase from 18% to 27% (50% increase).
  • The economic impact of overweight and obesity was estimated at 2.4% of GDP in 2020.
  • The total economic impact of overweight and obesity is estimated at 4.32$ trillion in 2035.
  • The economic impact of overweight and obesity is estimated at 2.9% of GDP in 2035.

Notes: People’ refers to adults and children over 5 years. ‘Children’ refers to those aged 5 to 19 years. ‘Adults’ refers to those aged 20 and over. All estimates and global figures are for the 161 countries featured in The Economic Impact of Overweight & Obesity in 2020 and 2060 (World Obesity Federation & RTI International, 2022)

CAMPAIGN ASSETS

Clear branding and strong visuals are essential for an effective World Obesity Day campaign. They strengthen your campaign messages, catch people’s attention, and create a powerful sense of collective action worldwide.

Available Assets:

  • Logos and graphic icons
  • Social media posts – statements, awareness posts, call to action posts
  • Printable posters – event posters, awareness posters, call to action posters
  • Zoom backgrounds
  • Email signatures
  • Conversation cards – deck, PowerPoint and social media carousels

Accessing Campaign Assets

Remember to read our guidelines and terms before making use of World Obesity Day campaign assets.

General public and non-partner organisations:

A selection of readymade campaign assets is available for public use, so you can share our message quickly and easily. Access them here.

Partner organisations:

Our campaign collaborators have the option to create their own tailored campaign assets using editable design templates on Canva, a user-friendly online design platform. This year, our assets are designed to be more flexible and editable than ever before. You can adapt areas of text, icons, colours and images in a few simple steps – creating materials that fit your local campaign perfectly. If you are interested in this option, please email wod@worldobesity.org to request access.

Photographs

If using photography in your campaign, take care in the selection of images. We recommend using photographs from the World Obesity image bank or the ECPO image bank, but if using your own photographs, be sure not to use stigmatising images that perpetuate negative stereotypes. This could include those that focus on the abdomen or lower body, or show people living with obesity from unflattering angles, engaging in sedentary behaviour or consuming unhealthy food.

Please avoid using hand icons to point to, encircle or otherwise single out an image of an individual person – this can be seen as stigmatising.

For more guidance on using imagery, as well as how to use our illustrations, typography and more, check out our Brand Book.

the conversation cards

To make talking about obesity easy for everyone, we have created Let's Talk About Obesity: it's on the cards. These conversation cards provide talking points to get your discussion started, along with short facts, prompts and questions. Use them to start a conversation with patients, colleagues, healthcare providers and more. We suggest bringing them into events, panel discussions and group/one to one sessions, or even using them to start a conversation with policymakers.

The cards can be found at www.worldobesityday.org/resources/entry/conversation-cards

You can also download a printable version of the cards, a powerpoint presentation with all of the cards in it to use at events, and our social media carousels to post them on your channels. If using the carousels, simply download the two pages that show the front and back of a card.

You can find these on our resources page.

KICKSTART YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN

We want to change perspectives around the world this World Obesity Day, using the power of conversation. Social media is an important tool for getting the word out.

We will be sharing stories, events, facts and figures about obesity on social media on and around World Obesity Day. Make sure you are following us on Twitter. Share our content and tag us into your posts so we can maximise our online reach!

Planning on using social media in your campaign? Here are some tips to get you started:

Hashtags

Amplify the message of World Obesity Day using our campaign hashtags. Using the hashtags ensures that all social media material relating to the day can be discovered and tracked by those involved.

#WorldObesityDay is the main hashtag. Include this on all posts.

#WOD2023 can be used if space is a challenge.

#LetsTalkAboutObesity is the campaign strapline. Use it wherever possible to spread the message.

#ChangingPerspectives is an additional hashtag, only to be used alongside #WorldObesityDay or #WOD2023

Example tweets

Use social media to share your key messages and catch the attention of your target audiences.

Here are some examples of tweets that you could use:

This #WorldObesityDay, we want to get people talking about obesity! Conversations can help us to acknowledge obesity’s many roots, inspiring people across the world to take effective action for better health. #WOD2023 #ChangingPerspectives
1.9 billion people are predicted to be living with obesity by 2035 - one target we want to miss! To make a difference this #WorldObesityDay, we need to have conversations to change outdated perspectives, correct misconceptions and end stigmas. #WOD2023 #LetsTalkAboutObesity
Together, we can change the way we understand, prevent and treat obesity. It all starts with a conversation. Use our card deck to get started! worldobesityday.org #WorldObesityDay #LetsTalkAboutObesity
This #WorldObesityDay, we need to change the perception of obesity as an individual problem. It's time we acknowledged the role society and other factors play. Check out the ROOTS of Obesity ⬇️ worldobesityday.org
This #WorldObesityDay, we need to shift the perception of obesity from ‘Me to We’. Instead of blaming individuals, we must acknowledge the roots of obesity are systemic, society-wide problems, and they requires a collective response. #LetsTalkAboutObesity
This #WorldObesityDay, let's get talking! When we talk, debate and share our stories we can change perspectives and transform health outcomes. #WOD2023 #LetsTalkAboutObesity
Work in healthcare and want to know what you can do this #WorldObesityDay? Why not have a conversation with a colleague? Use our #WOD2023 playing cards to get you started! #LetsTalkAboutObesity
Last year, the @WHO established the landmark Acceleration Plan to STOP Obesity. This #WorldObesityDay, we need to keep up the momentum. By having the tough conversations, we can work together to ensure happier, healthier, and longer lives. #LetsTalkAboutObesity

ENGAGEMENT TACTICS

Use the conversation cards

This year is all about starting conversations to change perspectives on obesity, so why not use social media to share your conversations? Use the cards on our website and take a picture or video of you discussing the cards of your choice. This could be a conversation with someone you know, or post your response to start a conversation on social media with people outside your network!

Conversations are are available to use online here. Or you can download them here.

Example Tweet: This #WorldObesityDay, I am using the #LetsTalkAboutObesity cards to start a conversation about obesity. When we talk, debate and share, we can change perspectives and transform health outcomes. Use our card deck to get started worldobesityday.org and share your conversation!

Show us your ‘O’ for obesity! Simply hold your hands together in the ‘O’ shape.

Example Tweet: Signal your support for #WorldObesityDay. Take a picture of you making the ‘O’ for Obesity and post it to show your support.

Add a frame to your profile picture

Use a WOD 2023 frame on your social media account and encourage others to use them too. They are available to download here.

Example tweet: This year #WorldObesityDay is on 4 March and the theme is #ChangingPerspectives #LetsTalkAboutObesity. Show your support by adding one of our frames to your profile picture! Download them at worldobesityday.org!

Shares & Retweets

Take a moment to share WOD campaign content with your audiences.

Example Tweet: Our theme for this year’s #WorldObesityDay is #ChangingPerspectives #LetsTalkAboutObesity. We want to spread this message far and wide – so please share & retweet and keep an eye out for #WorldObesityDay posts throughout the day.

Download the factsheets

Factsheets are available to download here.

Example Tweet: #DYK that childhood obesity has nearly doubled every 10 years? It is often carried through to adulthood, so prevention and treatment is vital. This #WorldObesityDay, download our factsheet to learn more about obesity at worldobesityday.org

To keep up to date with all the latest World Obesity Day activities, follow us on Twitter!