Ethical aspects of prevention of overweight and obesity

Obesity is one of the leading preventable causes of death in the world. The prevalence of obesity among adults and children is one of the most serious public health issues in the 21st century. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2016, more than 1.9 billion adults are overweight. Over 650 million of them are obese. 41 million children under the age of 5 were overweight or obese. PURPOSE: The aim of our study is to examine and analyze the ethical acceptability of obesity prevention approaches worldwide. METHODS: In order to achieve this goal, we have used general and private science methods and approaches, including documentary method, analysis and synthesis, comparative method. RESULTS: Prevention of obesity can be done at individual and population level with the emphasis on public health initiatives. The analysis of obesity prevention approaches shows that there is a risk that the program may lead to stigmatization of a particular group, victim blaming and reinforcement of health inequalities. CONCLUSION: The implementation of a public health initiative should be based on evidence of its effectiveness but also on ethical considerations to ensure the protection of human rights