[April 7 is World Health Day] Short Film Depicting a Heartwarming Story of a Man with Obesity and His Family in Line Drawings Released
Eli Lilly Japan and Tanabe Pharma released an animated short film for World Health Day to promote understanding of obesity as a medical condition needing treatment, breaking the stigma of 'personal responsibility'.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 7, 2026 at 20:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 7, 2026 at 11:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 20, 2026 at 22:26 (322h 55m after Collected)
Eli Lilly Japan K.K. (Headquarters: Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture; President: Simone Thomsen; hereinafter 'Eli Lilly Japan') and Tanabe Pharma Corporation (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Osaka City; Representative Director and CEO: Akihisa Harada; hereinafter 'Tanabe Pharma') today released the second installment of their line-drawing animated short films, titled 'Obesity - A Family's Diary', to coincide with World Health Day, a day designated for people around the world to think about their health (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hc5eNrsq2I). A webpage introducing the films was also published on the same day (https://www.lilly.com/jp/news/stories/obesity-senga).
This work warmly depicts, through the narrative of a wife's diary and delicate line drawings, the feelings of the protagonist, a man with obesity, who blames himself when his efforts to lose weight for his family do not go well, how he regains his cheerful self triggered by learning the medical background through an encounter with a doctor, and his family watching over him.
Although obesity is a disease requiring treatment that develops through a complex involvement of genetics, stress, and environment, awareness of obesity in society, including among those affected, is low, and it tends to be downplayed as a problem of 'mere self-management'. This tendency may be hindering or delaying access to necessary medical care, becoming a social issue. The two companies produced this work in the hope that it will provide an opportunity for people with obesity and those around them to learn about the disease of obesity and deepen their understanding. Through this work, we aim to expand the circle of correct understanding of obesity and help solve the social issues associated with it.
The webpage published on the same day features two short films, including the previously released 'Obesity: Redrawing My Future' featuring a woman with obesity as the protagonist, as well as more detailed information such as the background of the production.
This work warmly depicts, through the narrative of a wife's diary and delicate line drawings, the feelings of the protagonist, a man with obesity, who blames himself when his efforts to lose weight for his family do not go well, how he regains his cheerful self triggered by learning the medical background through an encounter with a doctor, and his family watching over him.
Although obesity is a disease requiring treatment that develops through a complex involvement of genetics, stress, and environment, awareness of obesity in society, including among those affected, is low, and it tends to be downplayed as a problem of 'mere self-management'. This tendency may be hindering or delaying access to necessary medical care, becoming a social issue. The two companies produced this work in the hope that it will provide an opportunity for people with obesity and those around them to learn about the disease of obesity and deepen their understanding. Through this work, we aim to expand the circle of correct understanding of obesity and help solve the social issues associated with it.
The webpage published on the same day features two short films, including the previously released 'Obesity: Redrawing My Future' featuring a woman with obesity as the protagonist, as well as more detailed information such as the background of the production.