OBEClust: joining forces to prevent obesity

LIH-led project HealthyW8 part of Europe-wide collaborative network of experts

• NutriHealth
• Department of Precision Health

Obesity is a major health concern worldwide and a preventable risk factor for many health conditions. The European Cluster of Obesity Research Projects (OBEClust) is a multidisciplinary network that brings together nine EU-funded projects, with the aim of increasing the impact of obesity research in Europe, with a focus on prevention. The HealthyW8 project, coordinated by the Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH), is one of the cluster’s building blocks. The work of the consortium and its projects has recently been highlighted in a publication in the prestigious journal “Nature Reviews Endocrinology”.

With a startling number of adults affected worldwide, obesity is a pressing public health concern. By 2050, projections suggest that half of the global population will be living with overweight or obesity. The resulting impact on the burden of non-communicable diseases continues to grow, and obesity is expected to be the leading preventable risk factor for such conditions by 2035.

Beyond its impact on health, obesity also generates substantial economic costs, related to the treatment and management of affected individuals. Indeed, in Luxembourg alone, this is estimated to amount to approximately 1.5% of the country’s GDP. Despite treatment advances supporting the clinical care of the disease, tackling the complex underlying causes of obesity remains challenging, and prevention still remains the best option to address the roots of the problem.

When we talk about obesity, prevention is the key. Research and efforts must go beyond clinical care, to allow understanding the individual and environmental drivers of obesity

says Dr. Torsten Bohn, Group Leader of the Nutrition and Health Research (NutriHealth) team at the Luxembourg Institute of Health’s (LIH) Department of Precision Health (DoPH).

In this context, OBEClust was established in 2024 as a multidisciplinary network bringing together nine ongoing EU-Horizon funded projects tackling obesity from an array of different angles. By creating synergies, aligning methodologies, sharing expertise and collaborating on dissemination efforts, OBEClust aims to amplify the collective effect of these individual projects, ultimately strengthening Europe’s capacity to generate evidence-based solutions, policies and strategies to prevent and manage obesity.

The HealthyW8 project, coordinated by the LIH and integrated into OBEClust, focuses on strategies to empower healthy lifestyle choices. “By integrating biological, environmental and policy factors, and leveraging tools such as the Health Lifestyle Recommender System and a Human Digital Twin, our project aims to provide evidence-based prevention strategies, tailored advice and health literacy support to people suffering from obesity”, explains Dr Bohn. “As the HealthyW8 consortium, we are proud to be part of OBEClust, which represents a powerful initiative to share our expertise and ensure that the impact and relevance of our findings are maximised”, he concludes.  

The full article, published in Nature Reviews Endocrinology with the title “OBEClust: joining forces to prevent obesity”, can be accessed here.