Amici Obesi Onlus, a nonprofit organization, celebrates twenty years of standing beside patients, renewing its mission: to give a voice to people living with obesity within institutions and at all policy and working-group forums, and to offer them a space for mutual self-help and shared support.
To mark its twenty-year anniversary, the association organized an event in collaboration with ADI – Italian Association of Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition, FIAO – Italian Federation of Obesity Associations, SICOB – Italian Society of Obesity Surgery and Metabolic Diseases, SIO – Italian Society of Obesity, and with the non-binding support of Bioitalia srl, Boehringer Ingelheim, Eli Lilly Italia and Novo Nordisk Italia.
The initiative took place in the heart of Rome, in the splendid setting of the historic Teatro Tordinona, in the presence of friends, experts, and supporters of the association.
The event was moderated by Professor Renato Giordano, a director, actor, playwright, musician and cultural operator as well as an endocrinologist at the UOC Diabetologia e Dietologia Osp. S. Spirito di Roma.
«In these twenty years I have met many people from all over Italy who have lived with this disease every day, and I am thrilled to have been able to share today’s day with many of them», says Iris Zani, president of Amici Obesi and of FIAO – Italian Federation of Obesity Associations. Everything began in 2003, when I met extraordinary people who became friends and, from 2005, part and heart of my second family: Amici Obesi. We wanted a place where no one would feel alone anymore, where people could share their stories without judgment and find the courage to change, and we created it. I want to especially remember Marina Biglia, my dear friend and president of the association until her premature passing in 2018. She helped us grow like never before, and working alongside her was a privilege. When she left us, filling her void was difficult. But I understood that the best way to honor her was to keep walking, carrying forward her legacy with the same dedication and love».
Among the speakers, Emanuel Mian, psychologist and psychotherapist, one of Italy’s leading experts on body image disorders and eating behaviors, sent a message underscoring the important mission the association pursues.
«This association has been a point of reference for me from the very beginning—primarily for giving a voice to patients but also to professionals in a collegial and collaborative way; it was never a matter of distinguishing roles, but of building bridges rather than walls as in the past. The word “friends” in the association’s name has never been accidental: it means standing beside someone even when we don’t agree on everything and working toward a common direction, and in recent years this commitment has been strong on multiple fronts thanks to Iris’s work, which has also continued Marina’s initial steps. Over the years Amici Obesi has truly made a difference by recognizing obesity as a disease and by fostering a more humane dialogue even among professionals; it took time to break down prejudices, and it will take more time to continue working together, with families, patients, and professionals. But Amici Obesi has always pushed in this direction; it has been an honor for me to collaborate with them».
A Show to Fight Obesity Stigma
At the heart of the event was the theatre performance “¿META! – The Most Important Match: Being Yourself” by the SbilanciArti – Compagnia di Arti Performative APS. The aim of the production is to prompt young people to reflect on the importance of healthy and loyal relationships, on the search for one’s own uniqueness, and above all on the freedom to be oneself while respecting bodies and lived experiences different from one’s own.
On the fringe of the performance, a moment of reflection and debate featured psychologists and psychotherapists: Dr. Paola Medde, Dr. Emanuela Paone and Dr. Sami Schiff.
«The difficulty with this kind of expression — which, in theater, surely presents the most natural path that comes before cinema — lies with the sufferer, who must bare their pain. Yet I must say the actors represented the issue exceptionally well», commented Dr. Paone. «The message must reach both young people and adults. The point is to help people understand and stop this unstoppable avalanche and, above all, to prevent self-stigma, that is, when a person convinces themselves of what they’re told, which is the hardest thing to dismantle clinically».
“Less Sugar, More Health”
The final portion of the event focused on the importance of preventing obesity starting in childhood. Stefania Mariani, endocrinologist, and Iris Zani presented the project “Less Sugar, More Health.”
Childhood obesity is a global health emergency. According to the latest UNICEF report, obesity has surpassed underweight as the most common form of malnutrition among ages 5 to 19.
In Italy, about 29% of children are overweight and 9.8% have obesity (data from Obesity Monitor, IBDO FOUNDATION; ISTAT; CORESEARCH; BHAVE, 2025).
The project, created in 2017 by SAFE – Safe Food Advocacy Europe, a Belgian association dedicated to protecting and representing European consumers in the food sector, is now coming to Italy thanks to Amici Obesi, which will propose a program dedicated to school-age children and their families.
The goal of the project is twofold:
- To educate children and adolescents to adopt more balanced diets and to avoid excessive hidden sugar consumption.
- To raise consumer awareness through targeted communications about the risks associated with excessive sugar intake.
«These twenty years tell a shared story, a weave of lives that support, encourage, and love each other. We still face many challenges, and the Project “Less Sugar, More Health” stands as one of the most important because we believe prevention is essential to help more people and families, and that it is the people who are the heart of our association», concludes Zani.
Abbonati a Karla Miller
