OBEClust: Tackling the Global Obesity Epidemic Through Collaboration

OBEClust: Tackling the Global Obesity Epidemic Through Collaboration

Obesity has become a global epidemic, affecting over 1 billion individuals worldwide, with childhood obesity rates escalating at a concerning pace. The World Obesity Federation predicts a doubling of obese children between 2020 and 2035. This condition not only poses severe health risks but also burdens healthcare systems and diminishes life quality. In response, nine EU-supported projects have united to form OBEClust, the European Cluster of Obesity Research Projects. This collaborative initiative aims to uncover risk factors, promote preventive measures, and develop personalized strategies for maintaining a healthy weight and lifestyle throughout life.

Enhanced Impact Through Unified Efforts

OBEClust represents a significant investment of €80 million, funded by the European Union, the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI), and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) under the UK government's Horizon Europe funding guarantee. This collaboration highlights the necessity of interdisciplinary and international cooperation in tackling the obesity crisis. By combining scientific expertise, resources, and innovative methodologies, the cluster seeks to deliver evidence-based solutions that will positively impact individuals and communities across Europe. This initiative aligns with the European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA)'s mission to improve health outcomes by addressing critical health challenges like obesity.

Paulo Oliveira, OBEClust's current chair and coordinator of the PAS GRAS project, emphasizes the urgency of the situation: "With over 1 billion people affected by obesity worldwide, the time to act is now. OBEClust brings together a multidisciplinary network of experts and resources to find real solutions that will benefit millions across Europe and beyond."

The projects within OBEClust are dedicated to harmonizing methods and outputs to develop effective interventions and policy guidelines for obesity prevention and treatment. The cluster's focus on impactful collaboration aims to create sustainable solutions, with further updates on its progress and contributions anticipated.

Collaborative Projects and Their Focus Areas

Preventing and Addressing Childhood & Adolescent Obesity

  • BIO-STREAMS: A comprehensive framework for children's anti-obesity behavior utilizing an EU Biobank, micro moments, and mobile recommendation systems.
  • Obelisk: Aiming to combat childhood obesity to ensure health throughout life.
  • PAS GRAS: Investigating metabolic, environmental, and behavioral determinants of obesity in young populations.

Early Identification & Prevention of Obesity

  • eprObes: Focused on early risk-factor identification, prognosis, and intervention to prevent lifetime obesity.
  • BETTER4U: Tailoring biologically and behaviorally specific interventions to prevent obesity.

Lifestyle & Behavioral Interventions

  • HealthyW8: Promoting healthy lifestyle behaviors through personalized intervention portfolios to prevent and manage obesity during vulnerable life stages.
  • SHIFT2HEALTH: Developing and evaluating nutritional strategies to reduce and prevent obesity in shift workers.

Obesity Risks & Determinants

  • OBCT: Exploring biological, sociocultural, and environmental risk trajectories associated with obesity.

Diet-Related Non-Communicable Diseases

  • CoDiet: Enhancing surveillance to combat diet-related non-communicable diseases.

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