World Obesity Day on March 4, 2026

March 4th is World Obesity Day. On this day, the world reflects on obesity to raise awareness of this chronic disease, as well as its causes and the necessary measures to address and prevent it. What exactly is obesity? Are there stamps featuring obesity? Are you familiar with the Venus of Willendorf and the artworks of Botero?

Obesity

Obesity (the state of being obese; related and more or less synonymous terms are corpulence, fatness, and severe overweight) is a medical condition in which so much body fat has accumulated that it can have a negative effect on health. This can lead to a shorter life expectancy and/or more health problems. Authorities therefore consider it one of the most serious public health problems of the 21st century.

People with a Quetelet index or body mass index (BMI) higher than 30 kg/m2 are considered obese. The BMI is calculated by dividing body weight in kilograms by the square of the height in meters. Obesity is quite rare in wild animals, but not uncommon in humans and domestic animals, which are often overfed and get too little exercise.

In a large part of the modern world (especially in the Western world), people with obesity are ashamed and stigmatized. This phenomenon is called 'fatshaming'. Yet, it was formerly widely seen as a symbol of wealth and fertility, and in some parts of the world, that is still the case.

Obesity is a chronic disease characterized by excessive fat accumulation in the body. The disease is a major risk factor for various Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs), such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, high blood pressure, (lower) back pain, muscle pain, sleep disorders, and diabetes (diabetes type 2), which in turn can lead to cardiovascular disease or complaints affecting the eyes, kidneys, nerves, and feet.

 

Obesity in art

The first images of the human body, 20.000 to 35.000 years ago, are representations of obese women. Some attribute the Venus figurines (see below) contribute to the custom of emphasizing fertility, while others are of the opinion that they depict the 'fatness' in the people of that time. Corpulence, however, is absent in both Greek and Roman art, probably in accordance with their ideals regarding moderation. This trend was largely continued in the Christian European tradition, where only people of low socio-economic status were depicted as obese.

 

Venus of Willendorf

The Venus of Willendorf is Austria's most famous and valuable Upper Paleolithic find. A very special stamp has been designed for this exceptional object: a three-dimensional effect allows us to admire the Venus in a seemingly three-dimensional form. This innovative lenticular stamp is undoubtedly a new milestone in contemporary stamp design.

The Venus figurine was made about 29.500 years ago. It was discovered on August 7, 1908, in Willendorf in the Wachau. The 11 cm tall figurine, carved from fine limestone, is almost perfectly preserved. It depicts a plump, naked woman. Broad hips, a protruding belly, and heavy breasts define her striking appearance. The arms are only suggested, and the wrists are adorned with serrated bracelets. The upper and lower legs are realistically rendered, but the feet are missing. A large, faceless head, tilted slightly forward, rests on weak shoulders, which are almost entirely decorated with an intricate hairstyle of rows of curls reaching deep into the neck. Traces of paint indicate that the figurine was originally heavily painted with red ochre. Incidentally, the original is located in the Natural History Museum in Vienna.

The village of Willendorf in the Wachau region is situated on the left bank of the Danube. During the Upper Paleolithic, the slopes of the Danube Valley formed part of the hunting grounds of Ice Age hunters. In the summer of 1908, the Natural History Museum, under the direction of Josef Szombathy, carried out systematic excavations. Particular attention was paid to the Willendorf II site, located along the route of the Danube railway. Of the seven known sites, Willendorf II is undoubtedly the most important and one of the most significant for Paleolithic research in Central Europe. The limestone figurine was found in the Ninth Culture Layer, next to a large hearth with charcoal remains. Nineteen years later, just a few meters from the first site, the 19 cm tall Venus II was discovered, sculpted from a mammoth tooth.

The Venus of Willendorf is the most beautiful, oldest, and above all the best-preserved of all 130 Venus figurines found in Europe and Asia. The discovery is considered a global sensation by experts. It is certain that the specimen exhibits a striking number of similarities to Eastern European figurines. Common to all these figurines is the emphasis on sexual characteristics. Remarkably, all these archaeological finds follow the same geometric principle: they can be placed within a rhombus with astonishing accuracy.

Venus figurines are considered fertility idols. Their robust stature may also have expressed a desire for sufficient food and a successful hunt. It is striking that all figurines found so far originate from permanent settlements.

 

Fernando Botero

Fernando Botero Angulo (1932–2023) was a Colombian figurative artist and sculptor. His distinctive style, also known as 'Boterismo', depicts people and figures in large, exaggerated sizes. volumes, which, depending on the work, can express political criticism or humor. During his lifetime, he was considered the most recognized and quoted artist from Latin America. His art can be found at various times in highly visible places around the world, such as Park Avenue in New York City and the Champs-Élysées in Paris.

Botero, who called himself the most Colombian of Colombian artists, gained national fame when he won first prize at the Salón de Artistas Colombianos in 1958. He began creating sculptures after moving to Paris in 1973 and achieved international recognition with exhibitions around the world in the 1990s. His art is collected by many major international museums, corporations, and private collectors, and is sometimes sold for millions of dollars. In 2012, he received the Lifetime Achievement in Contemporary Sculpture Award from the International Sculpture Center.

 

Pictorial Postcards (1894 – 1994)

Are you familiar with this issue? You probably have this series in your possession… see the poster.

 

<strong> More info: </strong>

Dutch Association for Overweight & Obesity (NVOO): https://www.nvoo.nl/

World Obesity Day: https://www.worldobesityday.org/