The documentary “Childhood Obesity. The Ignored Pandemic” explores the mission of the foundation he chairs with his brother Mar. “Something is wrong when we see that the new generations will have a shorter life expectancy than ours.”
It’s not just extra pounds, nor is it a question of aesthetics. “Obesity is a disease,” says Jens-Christian Holm, head of research at the University of Copenhagen , bluntly at the beginning of the documentary Childhood Obesity: The Ignored Pandemic . A snapshot of the situation that ” shows the different factors that trigger it not only in the US, but also here in Europe ,” notes Pau Gasol .
Together with his brother, they have made the impact of this disease and its spread the leitmotif of their foundation . From there, they have launched various initiatives to “raise awareness in society that something is wrong when we find that the new generations will have less life expectancy than ours,” Gasol emphasized , hours before the presentation of the film, produced by TBS and broadcast by Movistar+ in two chapters of just over 30 minutes each.
During this time, the dangers and factors that lead to obesity are listed: a generation that abuses processed foods, that eats in front of the television, that doesn’t spend hours in parks… “It’s not just one, but it adds to the predisposition that each one carries in their genes ,” explains the former basketball player, while making it clear that ” our mission is to make the message sink in : we must improve habits in a fun way and with the example of the environment.”
After a few years as a UNICEF ambassador, the Gasol brothers explored what they could contribute to improving childhood and hit the nail on the head: obesity. ” The numbers among children were skyrocketing. And we realized it was due to a question of habits and environment .” With parents who were doctors and had instilled in them the healthy values that came from sports and nutrition, ” we saw that we had to focus on prevention .” Added to this is Marc’s own experiences with being overweight. ” He was a child with a tendency to gain weight,” he says in the film.
The globalization of fast food, which began in the United States, has meant that not only are the numbers highest in this country, but the rest are gradually following suit. It’s worth noting that the predictions of the latest studies, published in The Lancet , already place children under 15 and adolescents in the top 10 countries with the highest number of cases.
Even Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the controversial Secretary of Health in the Trump administration, appears in the documentary warning of the effects of fast food on American families. Although he’s known for his anti-vaccine theories , he did launch an initiative called MAHA (Make America Healthy Again) , which attempts to, at the very least, correct the course of Americans’ poor eating, exercise, and mental health habits.
Because, as Gasol insists, ” it’s about everything: the effect of eating with screens in the background, how we cook, and how we interact with our children during our leisure time.” In this sense, he insists that his mission is to highlight ” the tools available to families to, for example, cook healthy food without it meaning more expensive products.”
Gasol has spent the last decade educating himself and surrounding himself with a medical and scientific team that analyzes in detail what’s behind this pandemic , “which is growing without us realizing it.” “Do I want to know what we’re doing wrong?” Andoni’s mother asks in the film. This is where they want to intervene and be a beacon that guides parents to ” find solutions . It’s not about putting them on a diet, but about getting involved in making that journey fun.”
Without pointing fingers, without stigmatizing, or without blaming, the foundation analyzes specific situations and designs projects to ” plan meals that leave the TV aside, and involve parents in active activities…” the athlete lists. In this plan, he doesn’t hesitate to get involved with the administration. Here in Spain, “we work with the Ministries of Health and Consumer Affairs to help with the social changes that are needed ,” such as the National Strategic Plan for the Reduction of Childhood Obesity . In short, ” we want to empower children to live healthier lives.”
Link: https://www.elmundo.es/ciencia-y-salud/salud/2025/05/28/6835e7a821efa0355c8b45a0.html
Author: Pilar Pérez
Date: Updated Wednesday, May 28, 2025 – 3:01 PM
Source: El Mundo
Note: The Nutrigenomics Institute is not responsible for the opinions expressed in this article.
