World Digestive Health Day brings attention to “insidious” obesity crisis

28 May 2021 --- Tomorrow will mark World Digestive Health Day (WDHD), which this year is highlighting the link between gut health and obesity. NutritionInsight takes a closer look at all the action and launches around this public health campaign.

“The ongoing pandemic of obesity impacts the world’s population with equally devastating but clearly not as dramatic effects as COVID-19,” emphasize the co-chairs of WDHD, Lilian Kow, Reem Sharaiha, James Toouli and Guilherme Macedo.

“The impact of obesity on the development of comorbidities and subsequently the effect on life expectancy is as devastating as any infectious pandemic.”

WDHD is organized by The World Gastroenterology Organization, which is partnering with The International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders (IFSO) to raise awareness of obesity.

Celebrated annually on May 29, the event promotes associated activities and initiatives continuing throughout and beyond the campaign year.

This year, it will provide gastroenterologists, surgeons, nutritionists, patients and the public with an understanding of the latest basic and clinical research in the pathogenesis, investigation and treatment of obesity.

This campaign seeks to translate research into clinical practice and facilitate communication between physicians, allied health professionals, healthcare payers and the public. 

It hopes to ensure that patients receive appropriate dietary and lifestyle advice, as well as appropriate investigations and treatment relevant to their condition and circumstances. WDHD involves more than 116 WGO member societies, which reach over 50,000 individuals worldwide.

Dangers of obesity
The WDHD co-chairs note that while infections have a relatively fast effect, the effects of obesity on life expectancy are “more insidious, more devastating but less acute.” 

“There is a multitude of digestive and liver diseases that are associated with overweight and obesity,” observes Helena Cortez-Pinto, vice president of United European Gastroenterology (UEG).

For example, almost 75 percent of obese individuals have a fatty liver, increasing the prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

Cortez-Pinto emphasizes that promoting the adoption of healthy lifestyle choices is key in tackling rising adult and childhood obesity rates, especially in tackling high consumption of processed and ultra-processed foods.

“To limit the consumption of these unhealthy foods, the European Commission and national governments must do more to increase the availability of quality healthy foods, at a lesser price, to influence consumer choices,” she argues.

Urgent change needed
One example of promoting a change in eating culture is shifting from “on-the-go” food consumption to nutritiously cooked meals. This could be achieved through adopting policies that restrict the marketing of unhealthy foods and encourage the reformulation of products to reduce fat and sugar content.

“If we do not change our approach now, the burden of obesity on chronic digestive diseases is only going to become greater, with higher disease prevalence, death rates and economic costs as a result,” warns Cortez-Pinto.

Earlier this month, NHS Digital revealed that obesity was a factor in more than one million admissions to NHS hospitals in the UK last year. 

In light of World Obesity Day in March, the UK government allotted £100 million (US$139 million) to help support children, adults and families achieve and maintain healthy weights.Health-Ade’s campaign aims to demystify gut health for a universal audience that goes beyond kombucha “die-hards.”

Wider industry moves
Some consumer brands have also taken WDHD as an opportunity to unveil new moves. For example, US-based Health-Ade has launched a multi-million-dollar marketing and education campaign surrounding its kombucha drinks.

Despite a growing interest in gut health, many consumers still feel uncomfortable talking about it and also connect the gut solely to digestion. 

“Your gut does so much more than digest, it has an insanely important impact on all aspects of your daily life – like driving immunity, energy, metabolism, mood, and even skin health. Scientists know this, but most people and even healthcare practitioners don’t,” emphasizes Daina Trout, CEO and co-founder.

Health-Ade’s campaign starts with the gut’s point of view, leveraging the “Gut Gaze” to draw viewers in and take them on a journey of how a healthy gut leads to whole-body wellness and how probiotics and healthy acids can help.

The omnichannel campaign will include digital video for streaming devices, social media content, display ads and a 360-influencer campaign, all geared toward educating and disseminating gut health information in an easy-to-understand, entertaining format. 

Celebrating with prebiotic yogurt
Another launch for WDHD is Bio&Me’s prebiotic yogurt, marking the UK-based company’s first move into the chilled categories. 

The offerings are available in original, vanilla and mango varieties, with each pot containing 2 g of chicory inulin, which contributes to normal bowel function by increasing stool frequency.

The yogurts also feature 18 different cultures, including Chr. Hansen’s BB-12 and LLG. 

Earlier this month, BB-12 was also featured in Ayo’s almond-based yogurt. The probiotic has been described in close to 400 scientific publications. Studies support BB-12’s health benefits for adults, such as better immune and oral health, promoting healthy cholesterol levels in the body, and increased bowel movements for adults and the elderly.

A recent study also found that daily probiotic use was associated with fewer upper respiratory symptoms in overweight and older people. 

By Katherine Durrell