
Novo invests in childhood obesity prevention
Novo Nordisk is investing 250 million DKK in the ‘Childhood Obesity Prevention Initiative’ to combat obesity in children worldwide. The project will focus on enhancing physical activity and healthy diets for children in six global cities. The aim is to develop preventive solutions, as explained by Katrine DiBona, head of sustainability at Novo Nordisk. The initiative will collaborate with local governments, institutions, schools, and NGOs in Brazil, Canada, France, Japan, South Africa, and Spain, involving a comparative study between two groups of children—one receiving guidance on exercise and diet and one continuing their usual lifestyle. The health-related behaviors of children aged 6-13 will be monitored, including BMI measurements. In 2022, WHO reported over 390 million children aged 5-19 suffered from obesity, with 160 million facing severe obesity. Novo Nordisk, a major medicinal company specializing in diabetes and obesity drugs like Wegovy, emphasizes the importance of prevention in addressing the obesity pandemic, not just treatment.