Obesity The Big Truth

Forget what you think you know about obesity.

Let’s Focus on The Science

The Big Truth uses discussion and storytelling by HCP thought leaders to convey scientific information and to engage other health care professionals, experts in the field of obesity AND PATIENTS

Obesity the Big Truth

People living with obesity are often wrongly accused – and even believe themselves – that obesity is entirely their fault. Indeed, they are often stigmatised by those who mistakenly think it is entirely down to their lifestyle.

But modern science increasingly shows us that obesity is a very complex disease. It involves many different factors such as genetics, changes in our genes due to our environment, the environment itself, ethnicity, reasons why we eat for pleasure or need, brain processes, and the makeup of our body.

The Big Truth is that many old-fashioned beliefs are being proven to be incorrect. We need to listen to the scientific evidence that sets straight many of the myths about obesity. It is a chronic disease that requires treatment.

Obesity: The Big Truth is an initiative to inspire and drive a collective conversation. It provides a framework and a platform for experts to discuss the emerging and continually developing science of obesity and its complexities.

Physicians are working alongside Patient Advocates to host live events for all types of obesity stakeholders, shining a light on the newest science on obesity to further the understanding of all those involved.

Professor Carel le Roux: It is Not Your Fault

Your Title Goes Here

Transcript

As an obesity doctor, the most important thing I can say to patients is that this disease is not your fault. But it’s your responsibility and my responsibility to find a treatment for the disease of obesity. Now, these treatments can be nutritional therapies, pharmacotherapies, or surgical therapies. Important to understand that if you do not respond to one of these treatments, it’s not because you’ve done something wrong.

It’s not the smart people who listen to us that lose a lot of weight or the people that don’t listen that don’t lose weight. It is biology. And if we understand the biology of this disease, then we’re going to treat it like any other disease. So, for example, if somebody responds very well, we continue with that treatment, but if they don’t respond, we either change the treatment or we use a combination of treatments.
And ultimately, that is how we control the biology of the disease in the long term and get most of the health gains that we can from our approaches.

Coming soon: the French-language Big Truth Podcast series.

Leading French-speaking obesity experts from Belgium will reveal the science of this complex disease in a new podcast series, “Obesity: The Big Truth,” which will soon be on this website. Discover the truth behind obesity: is it the person’s fault or a chronic disease?
Whether you are a healthcare professional or someone living with obesity, you will find it fascinating. Each week, we will present a new episode of the 12-part series.

It is time to dispel the myths about obesity

There is growing scientific evidence that obesity is a disease and not a lifestyle choice or that it is caused by eating too much. It is also not an individual failing that the individual can rectify; its primary cause is not a lack of physical activity. So, it is time to put aside these myths.

To learn more, please read the myths section

The Myths

Understanding the science of obesity

The science of obesity is moving at an incredible pace. Every day, more research on obesity is published in multiple areas of the scientific community.

More information than ever points towards obesity as being a chronic, relapsing, biologically and environmentally driven disease that is not within the control of the individual. Neuroscience, genetics, epigenetics, and the environment all have a part to play.

The Science

“It’s not the calories in the food. It’s what the food does to the body.”

Dr Andrew Jenkinson