Countries and global leaders recognized for their action to tackle the obesity crisis

“Obesity is largely preventable. Yet millions of people around the world face environments that make it easier to gain weight and harder to stay healthy,” said Dr Jeremy Farrar, WHO Assistant Director-General for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention and Control. “These champions demonstrate that progress is possible, and their leadership inspires collective action to stop obesity worldwide.”

Obesity rates have more than doubled in the past three decades. Today, one in eight people worldwide lives with obesity, driving up rates of diabetes, heart disease, certain cancers and other NCDs.

The WHO Acceleration Plan to Stop Obesity lays out a roadmap for governments and partners to act decisively. Its five pillars focus on:

• scaling up proven, cost-effective actions
• supporting delivery for real-world impact
• driving global advocacy
• engaging a wide range of partners
• strengthening accountability at every level.

WHO has recognized the need to tackle the global obesity crisis in an urgent manner for many years and remains committed to supporting countries in their efforts and to recognizing their achievements. The World Health Assembly Global Nutrition Targets aim to ensure no increase in childhood overweight, and the global NCD target aims to halt the rise of diabetes and obesity by 2025.

Winners of the 2025 Task Force Awards

Ministries of Health (or government agency under a ministry of health)

1. Ministry of Health and Population, Egypt
2. Ministry of Health, Greece
3. Ministry of Health, Malaysia
4. Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública – Gobierno de México
5. Directorate-General of Health, Ministry of Health, Portugal
6. National Nutrition Council, Philippines
7. National Obesity Treatment Center, Qatar Metabolic Institute, Hamad Medical Corporation
8. Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia
9. Ministry of Health, Republic of Seychelles
10. National Department of Health, Republic of South Africa
11. Ministry of Health, Spain
12. Ministry of Health, Timor-Leste

Nongovernmental organizations, academia, and foundations

1. Belgian Association for the Study of Obesity (BASO), Belgium
2. Cameroon Baptist Convention Health Services (CBCHS), Cameroon
3. Obesity Matters, Canada
4. Red PaPaz – Corporación Colombiana de Padres y Madres, Colombia
5. Non-communicable Diseases Alliance in Georgia, Georgia
6. Institute for Obesity Prevention and Control (IPICO), Russia
7. Desmond Tutu Health Foundation, South Africa