POLICY BRIEF

Tackling Obesity in Line with
WHO and Global Health Goals

Obesity affects people across the life course and is a major driver of cardiovascular disease (CVD), type 2 diabetes, certain cancers, musculoskeletal disorders, and poor mental health. The World Health Organization (WHO) identifies obesity as a critical priority within the Global Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases and the Global Acceleration Plan to STOP Obesity, aligning with SDG 3.4 (reduce premature mortality from NCDs) and SDG 2 (end all forms of malnutrition). Effective responses require a whole-of-society approach that acts on the commercial, social, and environmental determinants of health – shaping food systems, urban design, schools, marketing, and healthcare – while advancing Universal Health Coverage (UHC) so prevention and treatment are accessible and affordable. This Fast-Track Health policy brief highlights best practices through five case studies, discusses challenges and opportunities, and provides actionable recommendations for municipal, national, and regional health authorities.

Excise Tax on Sugar-Sweetened Beverages in Mexico: Mexico’s 2014 peso-per-liter SSB tax (about 10%) was paired with mass communication and water infrastructure in schools. Evaluations found sustained reductions in taxed beverage purchases – greatest among lower-income households – alongside increases in bottled water purchases, demonstrating that fiscal policy can alter population-level consumption patterns and help curb obesity risk. (BMJ, 2017)

Front-of-Pack Warning Labels and Marketing Restrictions in Chile: Chile’s phased Law of Food Labeling and Advertising mandates black “HIGH IN” stop-sign warnings for sugar, sodium, calories, and saturated fats; restricts child-directed marketing; and removes HFSS products from schools. Studies associate the policy with sizable declines in purchases of high-sugar beverages and reformulation by industry, showing how comprehensive labeling plus marketing rules can shift both supply and demand. (The Lancet Public Health, 2020)

Soft Drinks Industry Levy in the United Kingdom: The United Kingdom’s tiered SDIL charged producers based on sugar concentration, spurring widespread reformulation and reductions in the sugar content of soft drinks without reducing sales volume. Early evaluations reported population-level drops in household sugar from drinks and declines in hospital admissions for severe dental caries among children, illustrating how producer-facing levies can drive healthier products at scale. (BMJ, 2020)

Whole-City “Healthy Weight Approach” in The Netherlands: Amsterdam integrated actions across transport, education, social services, and urban planning: free drinking-water at schools, healthier sport-club canteens, restrictions on unhealthy food marketing near schools, and active-travel infrastructure. The program reported sustained declines in childhood obesity in targeted districts, highlighting the power of place-based, equity-focused action led by city government. (Amsterdam Public Health Service, 2021)

School Lunch and Food Education in Japan: With near-universal participation in nutritionally balanced school lunches and mandatory food-education curricula, Japan maintains comparatively low childhood obesity rates among OECD countries. Standardized nutrition guidelines, culinary education, and daily physical activity embed healthy habits early and demonstrate the value of universal, school-centered prevention. (OECD & WHO, 2019)

Progress is constrained by powerful commercial determinants (aggressive marketing, pricing, and product placement of ultra-processed foods); widening inequities in access to healthy food and safe spaces for physical activity; and urban designs that prioritize cars over walking and cycling. Many health systems still emphasize downstream treatment over upstream prevention, and obesity care (nutrition counseling, pharmacotherapy, and metabolic surgery) is inconsistently covered under UHC. Food environments are further shaped by trade, subsidies, and supply-chain shocks that can make calorie-dense options cheaper than healthier alternatives. Stigma toward people living with obesity undermines help-seeking and quality of care, while data systems often lack timely, disaggregated monitoring to guide targeted action.

Comprehensive policy packages – fiscal measures (SSB and HFSS taxes), mandatory reformulation targets, front-of-pack labeling, and marketing restrictions – can shift entire markets toward healthier products. Cities can redesign streets for active transport, expand green space, and optimize zoning to limit density of unhealthy outlets around schools. Health systems can integrate obesity prevention and treatment into UHC, including counseling, multidisciplinary care, and evidence-based medications and surgery for severe obesity. Schools remain high-impact platforms for universal nutrition standards and daily physical activity. Finally, robust surveillance, procurement standards for public institutions, and cross-sector coalitions (health, education, transport, agriculture, and finance) can align incentives and sustain impact, with special attention to equity so benefits reach low-income and marginalized communities first.