In this thought piece for The Hill, UN Special Envoy Agnes Kalibata and John Wilding, write on the rise of obesity rates globally, particularly in low-and middle-income countries, and highlight the importance of how governments must work with actors across the food system to reverse this trend and redesign food systems.
The roots of high levels of obesity are complex. Food environments are influenced by the marketing of unhealthy products to children, as well as agricultural policies, climatic conditions, cultural and social factors and policies that impact trade. While these roots to obesity rates are complex, addressing obesity is important not only from a food and nutrition perspective, but also as a key strategy for building resilience and preventing future pandemics.
The UN Food Systems Summit is helping coordinate and provide an opportunity for solutions to emerge regarding these challenges in order to improve food systems in all aspects from production to consumption.
Read the full thought piece by UN Special Envoy Agnes Kalibata and John Wilding on The Hill here.
