Swiss Obesity Education
Obesity: facts vs myths
What the latest Swiss guidelines actually say.
A 10-part explainer
Obesity is a chronic disease
Facts vs myths
What obesity is — and what it isn't
Ten slides based on the latest Swiss guidelines. Swipe or use the arrows.
What it is · 01
A chronic disease
A chronic, relapsing, multifactorial disease of excess adiposity that harms health — recognised as such, not a temporary state.
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What it is · 02
Driven by many factors
It arises from the interplay of genetics, physiology, environment and socioeconomic circumstances — not one single cause.
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What it is · 03
Common and serious
~43 %of Swiss adults live with overweight or obesity.
It raises the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, sleep apnoea, fatty liver, joint disease and mental-health conditions.
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What it is · 04
It's treatable
Effective options exist — and the goal goes beyond the scale: better health, resolved comorbidities, restored function.
- 01Multimodal lifestyle care
- 02Medication (GLP-1, GIP/GLP-1)
- 03Bariatric surgery
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Now — what obesity is not.
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What it isn't · 01
Not: A willpower problem
Biology and environment drive it. "Just eat less, move more" oversimplifies a complex disease.
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What it isn't · 02
Not: A personal failing
Not laziness, not a character flaw, not the person's fault. Weight stigma harms health — and is itself a barrier to care.
Language matters: we say "a person with obesity", never "an obese person".
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What it isn't · 03
Not: Just a number on the scale
It isn't about weight or appearance alone. Real success is better cardiometabolic health, mobility, mental wellbeing and quality of life.
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Obesity is a treatable medical condition that deserves the same evidence-based, respectful care as any other.
Educational content — not a substitute for individual medical advice.
Source: Swiss obesity clinical practice guidance. Swiss Med Wkly 2026;156:5415 (SGED-SSED / SMOB).
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Content: SMOB Educational & Early Career Group, after Swiss Med Wkly 2026;156:5415.
Media library
Explained by the people who treat it
In preparation · coming soon
For our patients only
Short videos on causes, diagnostics and treatment — no jargon and no wagging finger. The media library will be part of our treatment and is not publicly accessible.
We are building it at the moment. The videos are not available yet — we will let you know at your consultation as soon as they are.
You will then receive a QR code from us. Scan it with your phone's camera and the videos open.
Also useful
Where does my BMI sit?
The calculator on the home page places your value within the WHO ranges. It runs on your device — nothing is transmitted.