Rethinking Obesity Policy: From Food Blame to a Culture of Balance – Il Messaggero
Ahead of World Obesity Day, Il Messaggero published an in-depth interview with us on our book and the broader debate surrounding obesity, prevention, and public policy.
Read the full article here.
Rethinking Obesity Policy: From Food Blame to a Culture of Balance
The central message is simple but often misunderstood: obesity is not merely a matter of weight; it is a symptom of a deeper loss of individual balance.
One of the most common mistakes in today’s public debate is reducing obesity to aesthetics, to a nutritional issue, or to a fashionable longevity trend.
Obesity is the visible tip of the iceberg. The real issue is the loss of physical, metabolic, psychological and social equilibrium. When individuals move away from that balance, cardiovascular diseases and non-communicable diseases increase. The costs are not only medical but also economic, social, and moral.
Obesity is the visible tip of the iceberg. The real issue is the loss of physical, metabolic, psychological and social equilibrium. When individuals move away from that balance, cardiovascular diseases and non-communicable diseases increase. The costs are not only medical but also economic, social, and moral.
THE EDUR IS AN OPPORTUNITY: FIND OUT WHY
We tend to blame nutrients or specific food categories. Yet the human body is a thermodynamic system: energy in and energy out.
Today, the neglected factor is sedentarity. We move less, sleep worse, spend hours on social media and streaming platforms, live in obesogenic environments, and experience chronic stress.
If taxation is considered a public health tool, the provocative question remains: why do we tax food but not platforms that incentivize inactivity?
Today, the neglected factor is sedentarity. We move less, sleep worse, spend hours on social media and streaming platforms, live in obesogenic environments, and experience chronic stress.
If taxation is considered a public health tool, the provocative question remains: why do we tax food but not platforms that incentivize inactivity?
The Mediterranean Diet is not a list of “good” foods. It is a cultural system based on moderation, variety, movement, conviviality and responsibility.
It is sustainable because it is adaptable. Its strength lies not in a miracle ingredient, but in the balance between mind, body and environment.
It is sustainable because it is adaptable. Its strength lies not in a miracle ingredient, but in the balance between mind, body and environment.
Short-term bans and food taxes are political shortcuts. Real prevention requires education, an authentic literacy of balance starting in schools, livable cities that promote movement, and personalized tools, including wearable technologies and AI, to support individual metabolic awareness.
The future of public health is not standardization, but personalization.
The conversation must move beyond “processed vs natural.” Food classification does not solve complexity. What matters is portion, frequency, variety and context.
Equilibrium is not harmony. It is a continuous adjustment, the foundation not only of health, but of democratic life itself.
Equilibrium is not harmony. It is a continuous adjustment, the foundation not only of health, but of democratic life itself.
