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THE WORLD HEALTH Organization (WHO) today said that “epidemic” overweight and obesity rates are linked to over 1.2 million deaths annually across Europe, calling for swift policy changes to reverse the dangerous trend.
Obesity rates in the region have ballooned by 138% in the past five decades, the WHO said in a new report, and are linked to a series of cancers and cardiovascular diseases.
Nearly a quarter of adults are now obese in Europe, higher than in any other region except the Americas, the WHO said.
The Covid-19 pandemic is linked to growing waistlines, especially as lockdowns promoted “an unhealthy diet or sedentary lifestyle”, the report found.
“Overweight and obesity rates have reached epidemic proportions across the region and are still escalating,” the health body’s European office said.
“Raised body mass index is a major risk factor for non-communicable diseases, including cancers and cardiovascular diseases,” WHO regional director Hans Kluge was quoted as saying in the report.
Obesity causes at least 13 different types of cancer and is likely responsible for at least 200,000 new cases of cancer per year, it said.
“This figure set to rise further in the coming years,” the organisation said in the new report.
Excess weight and obesity are estimated to cause more than 1.2 million deaths per year, accounting for more than 13 percent of deaths in the region, it added.
Pandemic pounds
The latest comprehensive data available, from 2016, shows that 59% of adults and nearly one in three children — 29% of boys and 27% of girls — are overweight in Europe.
In 1975, 40% of European adults were overweight.
The prevalence of obesity among adults has risen by 138% since then, with a 21% increase between 2006 and 2016.
The report also revealed further health risks associated with excess weight.
“People living with obesity were more likely to experience severe outcomes of the Covid-19 disease spectrum, including intensive care unit admissions and death,” Kluge said.
The authors also noted that the causes of obesity “are much more complex than the mere combination of unhealthy diet and physical inactivity”.
Environmental factors unique to “modern Europe’s highly digitalised societies are also drivers of obesity”, it said, including the marketing of unhealthy foods and online gaming — especially among children.
The WHO called for policy changes to prevent obesity and promote healthy lifestyles, such as taxing sugary drinks and subsidising healthy foods while limiting the marketing of unhealthy foods to children.
“Policy interventions that target environmental and commercial determinants of poor diet at the entire population level are likely to be most effective at reversing the obesity epidemic,” it stated.
The WHO’s European region comprises 53 countries, including several in central Asia.
Wow , the Newsflash after years of a pandemic and data that showed obesity as being around a 76% co-morbidity factor in c19 death, is such a surprise. Not.
Quick concoct another tax and hit us with it.
The Covid-19 pandemic is linked to growing waistlines, especially as lockdowns promoted “an unhealthy diet or sedentary lifestyle”, the report found.
Whatever happened to calling a spade a spade and not finding excuses like the pandemic or the weather.
Nobody was prevented from exercising with the exception of some people with physical disabilities who needed specialist equipment.
It’s not as if unhealthy food was all that was available on the shelves.
People for the most part make themselves obese nothing else.
Coming up with silly excuses is not going to help anybody.
@Davey Ohanlon: An explanation is not an excuse. There can be a reason for something happening, without absolving yourself of personal responsibility or implying it was inevitable.
@Davey Ohanlon: Some people lost their jobs, or were furloughed and had no idea when they were getting back. I suspect this also contributed to the problems because people started buying lower costing and ultimately more unhealthy food. Which begs the question why junk food is cheaper to buy than healthy food.
@Davey Ohanlon: whilst I agree that people make themselves obese, lockdowns are unhealthy by nature.
Most people were afraid to go to a communal park due to fear pushed by government.
We were encouraged to stay home, add in the fear then people turn to alcohol and food.
Lockdowns crippled mental health, this is one of the results of that.
*Steps on scales*. Can confirm.
The NHS have a great app for people in UK, why don’t we have anything here, where is the sugar tax going!
@Niamh Brady: funds healy raes 13 houses.
Now that I am retired I walk a minimum of ten thousand steps a day. That works for me but may not work for everyone.
@Mike Dunne: more power to ya
I love people who blame their ” underactive” thyroid gland for being obese.. I had an underactive thyroid gland for real but was still thin as a rail, I now take medication (eltroxin) to help and haven’t gained weight, Maybe lost 4-5 lbs. But that’s because I eat well and have treats how they are meant to be eaten. As a treat every now and then (you’ll enjoy that little chocolate bar so much more if you only have one or two a week)
I thought it was linked to Crisps or/and chocolate bars
Now that the Covid is not been talked about,let’s talk about obesity,and take the lime light off the state of the health care system,We all know that carrying too much weight isn’t good,not everyone is lazy or couldn’t be bothered,they have medical issues,I know of a woman that went into the Dr because she didn’t feel well,and thought it was the menopause, he told her go home and change her diet and exercise,she wasn’t getting any better,after a few months she went back again,she was lucky she met a different Dr in the practice,and she has cervical cancer,thank God it’s not going to take her life.
What would make a massive difference is if we changed to personal risk based insurance cover, as opposed to what they call community rating, which gives absolutely zero reward for leading a more healthy lifestyle. Just imagine what would happen if we had community rated motor cover, where we all got charged the same, regardless of risk. Chaos. Why should Health be any different.?
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