In 25 years, the number of obese people in Switzerland has doubled, from 5% to 11% of the population, or more than 800,000 people. There is a patient association that fights against discrimination and stigmatisation, especially in the health sector.
Eating less and moving more, has been the message that has been hammered for several years it has been proven to be ineffective, even counterproductive. Overweight people feel stigmatised, this has been caused in part to some health professionals who still have a blaming speech towards people suffering from obesity.
Perceptio Cibus, an association supporting people living with obesity, created last year, fights against discrimination and stigmatisation and advocates for global and multidisciplinary care.
“Obesity is not considered a complex and multifactorial disease when it is. Today, in 2020, we are still misunderstood by the medical and health professionals. This absolutely has to change, “Katja Schläppi, president of the” Perceptio Cibus “association, told RTS
To improve the care of obese people, “we must work in synergy with different trades, in terms of health, we need a holistic approach,” she said, noting that “it is not weight that improves well-being, but well-being that improves weight. “
The association also denounces fad diets, “because in the long term, there is a failure rate of 95% whatever the diet. There is a yo-yo effect, the more you diet, the more you resume”, added Katja Schläppi.
The full article can be found https://www.rts.ch/info/suisse/11055509-les-discriminations-et-la-grossophobie-touchent-aussi-le-monde-medical.html (French Language)