Released on: May 27, 2010, 05:25 am
Author: QueryCLick LTD
Industry: Healthcare
The 2010 European Obesity Day took place on Saturday May 22, and it is hoped that the campaign will raise the profile of the potentially life-threatening condition. As the first awareness day of its kind, life insurance site Quoteboffin.co.uk welcomed the event and is optimistic that it will help in the fight to reduce the problems associated with obesity in Europe.
One of the campaign's central goals is to help the 50 per cent of Europeans who are overweight to shed 5 to 10 per cent of their body weight and cut obesity rates across 15 countries.
While the term obesity has become a well known one in the UK it is not in such common usage in other European countries, and it is hoped that the new awareness day will help countries increase public knowledge before the problem becomes rife. Among those participating are a high number of Eastern European countries, including Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary and Latvia.
A spokesperson for Quoteboffin.co.uk voiced the company's support for the campaign, saying that it represents a positive step forward when it comes to spreading the word about obesity and its dangers. They added: "Most people in the UK are aware of the problems that can be caused by obesity, but campaigns like this act as a great way for countries to share knowledge.
"What's more, it's important for people not to become complacent about things such as obesity. The fact that the term has become common knowledge in the UK means people could be in danger of accepting it as normal, whereas obesity remains a big threat to health."
Obesity can contribute to a number of health challenges, including diabetes and heart problems, as well as being a debilitating condition in its own right. European Obesity Day will share health tips for the general public, as well as asking individuals to sign its petition.
The goal of this petition is to encourage the EU to introduce ways of offering support to overweight individuals. This could be in the form of initiatives to promote healthy lifestyles or ensuring health coverage for alternative therapies. The organisation also hopes to encourage healthcare professionals to recognize obesity as a chronic disease to ensure that patients are given the treatment they need as well as create guidelines and best practice documents for the healthcare community.
Quoteboffin.co.uk agreed that it was important to ensure that doctors were fully educated when it came to obesity and its associated conditions. "Obesity can have wide-ranging effects on the health of the sufferer, meaning that it's not only important for doctors to help patients look for ways to minimise their weight, but it's also crucial that they are able to be vigilant for secondary complications.
"From raising the cost of life insurance to complicating existing health conditions, obesity can be a huge problem for sufferers, so any initiative hoping to raise awareness is on the right track."
About QuoteBoffin
Quoteboffin.co.uk is an online insurance comparison website offering life insurance comparison tools that allow users to search the market and procure the best life insurance policies and quotes.
QuoteBoffin.co.uk was launched in February 2010 and is a trading style of David and Co Consultants Limited.
Contact:
QuoteBoffin.co.uk
MMT Centre
Severn Bridge
Aust
Bristol
BS35 4BL
email: enquiries@quoteboffin.co.uk
http://quoteboffin.co.uk/