According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than half of adults in Europe are overweight. According to the study, 59 percent of adults in the European WHO region were overweight or obese. The proportion among men is higher (63 percent) than among women (54 percent), writes the WHO Europe in its European Obesity Report 2022 presented on Tuesday.
It is 29 percent for boys aged seven to nine, 27 percent for girls of the same age, and 25 percent for young people overall. These are significantly higher values than for small children under the age of five (eight percent).
tendency further increasing
Overweight and obesity rates have reached “epidemic proportions” across the WHO European region, and the trend continues to rise among adults, children and adolescents, according to the Copenhagen-based organization. None of the 53 countries in this region are currently on track to meet the goal of halting the rise in obesity by 2025. The spread among adults is only higher on the American continents.
“Obesity knows no borders,” said WHO Regional Director Hans Kluge. The countries in the region are incredibly diverse, but each of them has to cope with its own challenges to some extent. In addition to the EU, the WHO also counts Turkey, Russia, Ukraine and other eastern states up to Central Asia in its Europe region.
Austria slightly below average
For adults, Austria was slightly below the average for the region. On the other hand, the differences between women and men were significantly different: the value for women was 46.8 percent and for men 61.8 percent. According to WHO information, the most recent European comparative values are from 2016.
According to the WHO, 28.1 percent of Austrian children aged five to nine are overweight or even obese, which was slightly below the European average of 29.5 percent. In the category of ten to 19 year olds it is 25.8 percent – slightly above the European average of 24.9 percent. The trend among adults also continued among children and young people – both Europe-wide and in Austria: Boys are much more likely to struggle with overweight or obesity than girls.
According to the WHO Europe, people with a body mass index (BMI) of 25 or more are considered overweight, and those over 30 are considered obese. BMI is calculated from height and weight.
Often affected by Covid-19 consequences
According to the WHO, overweight and obese people were disproportionately affected by the consequences of Covid-19 during the pandemic. Those affected had shown a higher risk of hospital admissions and deaths. And not only that: Preliminary data suggest that obesity among children and adolescents is increasing due to the corona pandemic. This is partly due to changes in food consumption and a lack of physical activity during lockdown and quarantine times.
Will it be the main risk factor for cancer?
According to the report, overweight and obesity (obesity) are among the leading causes of disability and death in the WHO region. Obesity is associated with 13 different forms of cancer, among other things, and in some countries it could even replace smoking as the main risk factor for cancer in the coming decades. It can have various health consequences, including cancer, chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma, strokes and other cardiovascular diseases, liver and kidney problems, but also mental problems and back pain.
Comprehensive package of measures required
The WHO recommended a whole range of measures for decision-makers and authorities to get control of the excessive kilos of their citizens, such as diet and exercise. A comprehensive approach is important, said WHO expert Kremlin Wickramasinghe. “We’ve learned over time that a single policy doesn’t work. To be successful as a country or region, we need a comprehensive set of policies.” No single country is able to introduce everything at the same time. The consumer organization Foodwatch accused politicians of cheating on the fast-food industry in light of the WHO report.
Source: Nachrichten
