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Obesity and Genomics in Italy

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Genomics, Obesity and the Struggle over Responsibilities

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Abstract

The chapter reviews and summarizes the Italian debate on the main causes of obesity and the current initiatives adopted by the Governament and private initiatives to tackle the problem. The first part gives an overview of the sitaution of obesity in Italy. The second part of the chapter reports on expert opinions on the possibility to address the problem of obesity through different approaches. This part attempts to review and describe the way in which Italian experts and practitioners view the problem of rising rate of obesity in the Italian context and their opinion on the possible ways to addressing it through cure, prevention, and regulation.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    A workshop with 20 Italian experts in the field of cure and prevention of obesity was held in Florence in May 2004.

  2. 2.

    Visser et al.

  3. 3.

    For example, D’Amicis estimates that overweight rates among Italian men reach 45% while those for women are about 30% (D’Amicis, 1999 cited in AIAB, 2002).

  4. 4.

    See Miele and Parisi, 2001 for a discussion of this issue.

  5. 5.

    La Repubblica, 22/04/2006

  6. 6.

    The aims of the research centre are to: Deepen the knowledge on the pathogenesis and meaning of obesity through the study of the mechanisms involved in the regulation of eating habits, the accumulation and dispersal of energy; Deepen the knowledge on the various therapeutic approaches to obesity with particular reference on the role of medicines; Promote and coordinate initiatives to collect information to identify characteristics correlated with specific risks of morbidity and mortality; Contribute towards raising awareness and towards the correct scientific information on the importance of obesity as a public health problem; Identify possible interventions to prevent obesity and its complications.

  7. 7.

    Dr. Girolamo Sirchia, Minister of Health between 2001 and 2006.

  8. 8.

    (Ministry of Health, n.d.,)see http://www.ministerosalute.it/servizio/campagna.jsp?id_c=5

  9. 9.

    Since 1974, the Regions and the delegated bodies (since 1977, the municipalities) have issued laws including ‘provisions on school assistance and right to study’ through which they plan and promote various services, including school meals.

  10. 10.

    The ‘traffic light’ labelling scheme has been recently introduced (2006) in the UK to indicate the risk related to the high content of calories of each food.

  11. 11.

    Societá Italiana dell’Obesitá, see http://www.sio-obesita.it/

  12. 12.

    see http://www.bulimianoressia.it/site/chisiamo.asp

  13. 13.

    http://digilander.libero.it/automutuoaiuto/dimagrire_insieme.htm

  14. 14.

    Associazione di Auto Mutuo Aiuto see http://digilander.libero.it/automutuoaiuto/index.html

  15. 15.

    http://www.danoneinstitute.org/EUchildhoodobesity/index.php

  16. 16.

    Data from the National Institute of Statistic in Italy (ISTAT) in year 2000, show that in a population of 4,600,000 young women, aged between 12 and 25 years old, there are about 138,000 cases of anorexia nervosa and 250,000 bulimia nervosa. Maurizio POMPILI, Ann IST Super Sanità 2003; 39, 2, 275–281.

  17. 17.

    The interviews/presentations and group discussion took place in 1 day workshop in May 2004 in Florence. All presentations and the group discussion have been recorded and fully transcribed.

  18. 18.

    There is a growing literature that point to the this bias results in stigma and discrimination (Puhl and Brownell, 2001).

  19. 19.

    Founder and member since 1979 of AIAMC, Italian Association of Cognitive – Behaviour Therapy.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of City and Regional Planning, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK

    Mara Miele

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  1. Mara Miele
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Correspondence to Mara Miele .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Applied Philosophy, Wageningen University, Hollandseweg 1, Wageningen, 6706 KN, Netherlands

    Michiel Korthals

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Miele, M. (2011). Obesity and Genomics in Italy. In: Korthals, M. (eds) Genomics, Obesity and the Struggle over Responsibilities. The International Library of Environmental, Agricultural and Food Ethics, vol 18. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-0127-4_11

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