World Obesity Day

World Obesity Day 2026 takes place on 4 March, uniting people worldwide to raise awareness and drive action on obesity.

Convened by the World Obesity Federation in collaboration with its global members, it brings together individuals, organisations, and alliances to highlight the urgent need for understanding, prevention, and treatment of obesity.

Previous World Obesity Days have encouraged people to recognise the root causes of obesity, increase knowledge of the disease, challenge weight stigma, and shift the spotlight from individuals to the systems that shape our health.

This year, the campaign brings together everyone affected by overweight and obesity - all 8 billion of us - with a particular focus on our most vulnerable communities: children.

Projections show that four billion people - half the global population - are expected to be living with overweight and obesity by 2035. But in reality, obesity at that scale affects all of society. It means every community is touched by the non-communicable diseases to which obesity is a major contributor. More than that, obesity is an indicator of systems that aren’t working. And the spread of childhood obesity in low-and-middle-income countries shows that health inequalities are widening.

The measures we take to prevent and treat obesity will benefit every single one of us. That’s why there are eight billion reasons to take part in World Obesity Day.  Every one of us has a role to play in creating a world where obesity is understood rather than stigmatised – a world that prioritises prevention from the earliest years, supports people living with obesity, centers their voices, ensures equitable access to care, and builds systems that support healthier lives.

You can find out more about World Obesity Day and read about previous campaigns on the World Obesity website.