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Joining forces to tackle obesity and reduce weight stigma

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By Project HR4ALL
Second Learning Event

Rotterdam, January 2025 – On the occasion of the Interreg Europe project ‘Healthy Regions 4 All’ (HR4ALL), the city of Rotterdam hosted last week the second Learning Event of the project, bringing together multidisciplinary experts on health from Denmark, the Netherlands, Slovenia, and Spain. The event focused on addressing one of the most urgent public health challenges: obesity. 

HR4ALL, co-funded by the European Union, aims to empower regions and municipalities across Europe to implement comprehensive, collaborative, and innovative strategies to tackle obesity. The project promotes region-specific solutions by sharing best practices and learning from successful initiatives. The project started in april 2024 and will run for 4 years. 

Key Moments from the Rotterdam Event 

The second learning event of this project, took place in Rotterdam from January 7 to 9, 2025. 

Within the framework of this event, a Design Thinking workshop focused on mapping the user journey of patients and other key stakeholders to identify common interregional challenges. Within this workshop, participants also used the “Sudoku model,” an idea development tool for joint brainstorming to strategically solve key challenges around obesity. 

Additionally, several presentations by Dutch experts highlighted best practices in addressing obesity. The event provided a platform for participants to exchange experiences and explore effective strategies. 

Some key takeaways from the event: 

  • Cross-sector collaboration is crucial for developing comprehensive strategies to tackle obesity. 

  • Obesity impacts public health and healthcare costs as a risk factor for over 200 diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, various types of cancer, and hypertension. 

  • Reducing stigma requires better communication, preparation, and information sharing among healthcare professionals and individuals living with obesity. 

  • Inspiring innovations: Dutch partners introduced new professional roles like the ‘Central Care Coordinator’ and the ‘Lifestyle Care Counter’ as innovative solutions to address obesity efficiently. 

Next Steps: Spain will host the next learning event 

The next learning seminar is scheduled for  june 2025, in Spain. Sessions will be led by the Gasol Foundation and the Municipality of Sant Boi de Llobregat, focusing on implementing innovative solutions and family and community-based interventions to prevent obesity. 

A key objective of HR4ALL is to improve policy instruments by integrating multifactorial dimensions of obesity into regional health strategies. By identifying and implementing innovative solutions, the project seeks to develop policy measures that approach patient care while addressing the pandemic of obesity. 

About the partners 

The project unites partners from four countries:  

  • Denmark (The Municipality of Haderslev and the Region of Southern Denmark). The Danish partners focus is on improving the cross-sectorial collaborations of the   health strategies and policy integration regarding obesity.  
     

  • The Netherlands (Partnerschap Overgewicht Nederland - PON). The country provides innovative approaches to diagnostic and care models. 

  • Slovenia (URI Soča - University Rehabilitation Institute, Republic of Slovenia Soča and Razvojni center Murska Sobota). The Slovenian partners emphasize rehabilitation and inclusive strategies for individuals with obesity and other comorbidities.   

  • Spain (Gasol Foundation and the Municipality of Sant Boi de Llobregat). The partners are specialized in family and community-based interventions to prevent obesity from childhood. 

The project addresses obesity as a public health, social, and economic issue requiring coordinated and multisectoral action. 

About Interreg Europe 

Interreg Europe supports interregional cooperation projects across Europe, enabling regional and local governments to develop and deliver better policy solutions. Through networking and collaboration, Interreg projects help regions innovate and share knowledge to address common challenges and improve the quality of life for their citizens.