Pakistan is ranked as 9th most obese country in the world, according to the Global Burden of Disease Study published in The Lancet thelancet.com medical journal.

26 November 2017: Pakistan is the 08th most obese country in the world, however, there are very limited entities working to address this concern,  which is leading to diabetes and other serious diseases, putting our younger generation at risk. The facts were shared at a Press Conference in Lahore, marking the launch of “Run for Healthy Life”- a public awareness campaign by Novo Nordisk Pakistan and South Asian Federation of Endocrine Societies (SAFES).

The campaign is launched as a part of the broader initiative of “Changing Diabetes®”  by Novo Nordisk Pakistan,  under which the organization has joined hands with SAFES, comprising of Endocrine societies from Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sir Lanka, to create awareness about obesity, one of the most important risk factors of diabetes. The partners of this campaign aimed to prevent the increasing prevalence of obesity by reaching out to schools and broadly to the younger generation and conducting awareness sessions on changing lifestyles and increase physical activities, especially running.

Sharing his thoughts at the launch ceremony, General Manager Novo Nordisk Pakistan, Mr. Rashed Rafique said “Reaching to the roots of a disease is important to prevent its increase; obesity is one of the roots of diabetes. Therefore, we are very optimistic that this campaign will not only assist in preventing obesity but also diabetes and other diseases associated with obesity.”

Speaking at the occasion, President SAFES Dr. Abbas Raza said, “As experts in the field of diabetes, SAFES considers it as its prime responsibility to work for awareness that obesity and diabetes are preventable, all we need is regular exercise and a healthy lifestyle. Following these simple measures, we can save our future generation from the risk of serious diseases”

At the occasion, a special logo was unveiled for the ‘Run for Healthy Life’ campaign. The ceremony was attended by renowned diabetes and endocrine specialists from across South Asia, namely from Bangladesh, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sir Lanka, the management of Novo Nordisk, and friends from media.

About Novo Nordisk:

Novo Nordisk is a global healthcare company with more than 90 years of innovation and leadership in diabetes care. This heritage has given us experience and capabilities that also enable us to help people defeat other serious chronic conditions: haemophilia, growth disorders and obesity. Headquartered in Denmark, Novo Nordisk employs approximately 41,400 people in 77 countries and markets its products in more than 165 countries. For more information, www.novonordisk.com