The 2025 "World Obesity Day" China Summit was held virtually on March 4, garnering participation from over 750,000 viewers through live broadcasts on People’s Daily Health Channel and partnering platforms.
As China’s foremost academic forum on obesity prevention and control since its inception in 2022, this fourth annual event convened prominent domestic and international experts to tackle pressing obesity issues, prevention strategies, and implementation frameworks. Organized by the Obesity Prevention and Control Section of the Chinese Nutrition Society (CNS-OPCS), Global Health Institute (GHI) of Xi’an Jiaotong University (XJTU), and the International Research Center for Obesity and Metabolic Diseases, the summit strengthened partnerships with the World Health Organization (WHO), World Obesity Federation (WOF), China’s National Health Commission, and Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and leading national academic societies. In collaboration with nearly 100 domestic and international organizations, the CNS-OPCS and GHI of XJTU launched the 2025 "World Obesity Day: China in Action" series of 10 types of actions. These included the China Summit, the China Obesity Prevention and Control Training Session, release of key risk factors of obesity in China, announcement of the 2024 Top 10 Achievements in Chinese Obesity Research, and nationwide health promotion events, and publishing the Chinese version of the “2025 World Obesity Atlas”. Note that working with WOF, in 2024, CNS-OPCS published the Chinese version of the “2024 World Obesity Atlas”.
Chaired by Professor Youfa Wang, President of the CNS-OPCS, Vice President of XJTU’s Medical Science Center, and Dean of GHI, alongside Professor Wen Peng, Secretary-General of the CNS-OPCS. Professor Deliang Wen, Vice President of CNS-OPCS, moderated the Q&A and closing sessions. The summit addressed critical issues in obesity prevention both domestically and internationally, offering strategic recommendations for future efforts in China, with the ultimate goal of enhancing public health defenses and fostering innovation in obesity prevention. The forum was structured into three segments: It opened with the screening of the 2025 "World Obesity Day: China" promotional video, which highlighted the importance of prioritizing obesity prevention, fostering multi-sectoral collaboration, and supporting the "Healthy China" strategy. Xinhua News Agency disseminated the video to a broader audience. This was followed by the 2025 "World Obesity Day: China in Action" promotional video, featuring prominent experts, including the current and former Presidents of WOF, the CNS President, and 12 chairpersons from leading academic societies, who collectively advocated for "Changing Systems, Healthier Lives."
The second segment featured speeches by distinguished guests, such as Simón Barquera, President of WOF; Martin Taylor, WHO Representative in China; Chen Jiapeng, Deputy Director of the China Population and Development Research Center; Yang Yuexin, CNS President; Liang Xiaofeng, Vice President of Chinese Preventive Medicine Association; and Wang Jian’an, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. They lauded the series of events and stressed the necessity of close collaboration among governments, international organizations, and society at large to combat obesity. They called for systemic reforms, including optimizing the food systems, implementing healthy urban planning, strengthening food regulation, and improving healthcare resource allocation, to ensure a sustainable and healthy future for generations to come.
The third segment featured nine academic presentations, covering topics such as China’s progress in obesity prevention, international practices, and strategies for chronic disease control. Additionally, new research findings on obesity were unveiled, and a nationwide outreach campaign was launched to promote cross-sector collaboration. Youfa Wang provided an overview of China’s obesity disease burden and the work of 2025 WOD -China In Action. Wen Peng introduced the Chinese version of the 2025 World Obesity Atlas and its recommendations for China, and the Chinese version was published online in China and at the WOF website. Other CNS-OPCS member experts shared significant contributions, including Xiangyang Tian introduced the "Guidelines of Behavior and Lifestyle Interventions for Chinese Obese Patients"; Buyun Liu and Zheqing Zhang reported the "2024 Top 10 Achievements in Obesity Research"; Jiajin Hu and Jianduan Zhang reported "Risk Factors for Obesity in China"; and Bo Gou shared the results of science communication competition. Other notable speakers included Ailing Liu, Deputy Director of the CDC’s National Institute of Nutrition and Health, who discussed the role of environments in obesity prevention, and Wei Chen, Director of Peking Union Medical College Hospital’s Clinical Nutrition Department, who explored new approaches to obesity diagnosis. Former WOF President, Donna Ryan emphasized the urgent need for systemic change in global obesity prevention.
Aligned with the 2025 World Obesity Day theme “Changing Systems, Healthier Lives,” the forum focused on obesity trends, risk factors, and prevention measures. It championed a multi-layered prevention system involving individuals, communities, and the nation, advocating for healthy lifestyles and a supportive social environment. During the Q&A session, experts addressed audience inquiries. At the end, Professor Deliang Wen summarized the forum. Obesity prevention is a long-term, systemic endeavor crucial to public health, demanding sustained attention and collective action.
The 10 types of actions under the 2025 "World Obesity Day—China in Action" campaign have achieved broad reach through integrated media channels, significantly amplifying public health messaging. These efforts not only advance obesity prevention in China, but also strengthen the foundation for public health defense, supporting the “Healthy China” goals, and enhancing international cooperation. Moving forward, all stakeholders will continue to deepen research, refine policies, strengthen public health education, and safeguard population health, as part of China’s contributions to the global obesity prevention efforts.