Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI), in co-hosting with the Healthy Together Social Cooperative, South Korean social cooperative centered on people with lived experience of obesity, hosted the “Korea-Japan Obesity Experts Meeting: Towards Policy Advancement Based on the Voices of Those with Lived Experience and Healthcare Professionals” on February 25, 2026. This meeting served as a platform for policy dialogue to share insights and best practices within East Asia, thereby allowing both countries to learn from each other’s advanced approaches, and to advance patient-centered policies based on the voices of those with lived experience and frontline healthcare professionals.

The number of obese individuals and patients with obesity-related chronic diseases is　increasing rapidly, both in advanced industrialized nations and in low- and middle-income countries, and by 2022, the global obese population had exceeded one billion. Similar upward trends were also observed in South Korea and Japan. Since obesity and related conditions are risk factors for diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and other chronic diseases, timely and effective responses require comprehensive strategies and policies that address obesity alongside other noncommunicable diseases. However, both countries face significant challenges, such as the tendency to view obesity as a matter of “personal responsibility” and the associated stigma that comes with it act as barriers to seeking care. Furthermore, both countries lack sufficient consolidation of the experiences of people living with obesity and the perspectives of the healthcare professionals who treat them daily, and as a result, these perspectives are not being communicated to policymakers.

This meeting was held with the objective of creating a platform to share insights and best practices within East Asia, allowing both countries, which share challenges due to their shared East Asian cultural background, to learn from each other’s advanced approaches through policy dialogue. During the session, the real-life experiences of those with obesity, including barriers to medical care, and the perspectives of frontline healthcare professionals who face practical challenges in clinical settings were shared. The importance of employing the voices of those with lived experience in advancing patient-centered policies was also emphasized. In addition, active discussions took place regarding the importance of multidisciplinary collaborations as well as a comprehensive lifecycle approach, which is essential to communicate the necessity of educating individuals on appropriate nutritional and physical activity habits from childhood.

Key Discussion Points

• The participation of people with lived experience of obesity is essential in the policymaking process.
• In addition to providing patient-centered care, there is a need to further enhance a comprehensive healthcare delivery system that includes prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and post-treatment support, which must be supported by multidisciplinary and interdepartmental collaborations, including Bariatric Coordinators.
• In advancing obesity policies, it is important for the national government to set a clear direction and play a leading role.
• It is necessary to enhance education on appropriate nutritional and physical activity habits from early stages such as pregnancy and childhood, and to integrate these practices into a comprehensive lifecycle approach.
• To further advance obesity measures in the Asia-Pacific region, it is crucial to promote the sharing of insights and collaborations between South Korea and Japan.

[Event Overview]

• Date & Time: February 25, 2026 (Wed) 15:00-17:05
• Format: Hybrid, Confidential
• Venue: Seoul Square (Seoul, South Korea)
• Language: Korean – Japanese interpreter available
• Host: Healthy Together Social Cooperative
• Co-host: Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI)

[Program] (Titles omitted)

15:00-15:05	Opening Remarks and Purpose of the Session Kim Yoohyun (Chair, Healthy Together Social Cooperative)
15:05-15:20	Voices of Patients and Current Obesity Policies and Challenges in South Korea Kim Yoohyun
	Kim Yoohyun (Chair, Healthy Together Social Cooperative)
15:20-15:35	Voices of Patients and Current Obesity Policies and Challenges in Japan Eri Yoshimura (Senior Manager, HGPI)
15:35-15:50	Challenges from Clinical Settings in South Korea Kim Young-Jin (Professor, Master Surgeon, H+ Yangji Hospital’s Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery Center)
15:50-16:05	Challenges from Clinical Settings in Japan Atsuhito Saiki (Professor, Division of Diabetes, Metabolism and Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Toho University)
16:05-16:20	Role of Bariatric Coordinator Sayaka Tsuji (Bariatric Coordinator, Toho University Medical Center Sakura Hospital)
16:20-16:35	Pediatric Physical activities and Nutrition in South Korea Suk Minhwa (Professor, College of Sport & Art, Hanyang University)
16:35-17:05	Discussion and QA