Obesity Rate In Europe

What is Obesity?

Obesity is a health problem characterized by excess body fat or being overweight, affecting millions of individuals globally. An individual with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or above is considered obese, whereas a BMI of 25 or higher is categorized as overweight.

Obesity, according to research, raises the chance of acquiring a variety of ailments, including type 2 diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and numerous forms of cancer. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), 13% of the world population is obese, while 39% is overweight.

Obesity In Europe:

Over 50% of women and men in the WHO’s European Region are overweight, with 20% and 23% being obese, respectively. According to estimates, the number of overweight children in the WHO’s European Region climbed gradually from 1990 to 2008. Europe’s average obesity rate is 23.3%.

The three most obese countries in Europe.

Turkey
Obesity is a serious health problem in Turkey, which has the highest obesity incidence in Europe (32.1%) and ranks 17th in the world. In 1980, the country’s obesity prevalence was just 10.4%, but it rose to 16.3% within a decade, reaching 28.2% in 2010. Obesity affects more women than men in Turkey, yet adult and pediatric obesity rates are rising.

According to research, the growing obesity prevalence in Turkey is the result of Western-influenced lifestyle modifications. Turkish young, for example, are becoming increasingly sedentary due to their addiction to reality television and the internet. Furthermore, Western fast-food outlets have shifted Turkey’s diet away from healthy, traditional foods and towards fast-food meals. Rapid urbanization and rising living standards have also led to a more sedentary lifestyle.

In response to rising obesity rates, the Turkish government has launched many health promotion efforts to reduce obesity. Move for Health, the Promoting Physical Activity Project, and Reducing Portion Sizes are some examples of such initiatives.

Malta
Obesity is a major health problem in Malta, a Mediterranean island nation, and it is linked to a variety of disorders that drive up government spending. Malta has the highest obesity rate in the European Union, at 28.9 percent, and the second worst in the WHO’s European Region. Physical inactivity is a key factor in Malta’s high obesity rate.

Obesity affects more males than women in Malta, and it is more common among the elderly. In Malta, one out of every three elderly people is obese, compared to one out of every ten young individuals. Obesity is also more common among those with lesser levels of education.

It is considered that a change away from traditional Maltese culture, which is often associated with Malta’s accession to the European Union, may have contributed to the country’s rising obesity prevalence. The adoption of fast-food diets, along with a lack of physical activity, are key contributors. While those with higher earnings may afford to go to sports and fitness centers, those with lower incomes tend to live more inactive lives.

The Maltese government has implemented several steps aimed at reducing the country’s obesity. For example, school cafeterias are only permitted to serve healthful cuisine. In addition, the government has created the Healthy Weight for Life campaign to encourage healthy living.

United Kingdom
The United Kingdom (UK) has the third-highest obesity rate in Europe and the highest in Western Europe, at 27.8%. One in every five pregnant women in the UK has a BMI higher than 30. The World Obesity Federation predicts that if obesity in the UK is not successfully addressed, the cost of treating obesity-related health issues will exceed $31 billion per year by 2025.

Combating Obesity:

While most European governments are striving to address obesity concerns in their people, it is feasible to address this health issue on an individual basis. Healthy meals and regular exercise are essential for achieving and maintaining a healthy body weight.

Ranking of the Top 15 Fattest European Nations by Obesity Rate:

Rank	Country	Obesity Rate
1	Turkey	32.1%
2	Malta	28.9%
3	United Kingdom	27.8%
4	Hungary	26.4%
5	Lithuania	26.3%
6	Israel	26.1%
7	Czech Republic	26%
8	Andorra	25.6%
9	Ireland	25.3%
10	Bulgaria	25%
11	Greece	24.9%
12	Belarus	24.5%
13	Croatia	24.4%
14	Ukraine	24.1%
15	Spain	23.8%

How can being overweight or obese affect your health?

Obesity and overweight are among the major risk factors for the development of many non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and are linked to early mortality. Obese people also experience stigma, discrimination, and weight bias, and they have difficulty accessing compassionate, evidence-based healthcare.

Some conditions linked to obesity include:

• Cardiovascular illnesses include stroke, ischaemic heart disease, heart failure, hypertensive heart disease, dyslipidemia (abnormally high lipid (fat) levels in the blood), and hypertension.
• Chronic respiratory conditions include chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, obstructive sleep apnoea, and asthma.
• Cancers of the breast, colon, gallbladder, stomach, kidney, liver, pancreas, uterine, ovary, esophagus, and thyroid, as well as multiple myeloma and meningioma.
• Chronic renal disease.
• Mental health difficulties, such as depression.
• Musculoskeletal issues, such as osteoarthritis and low back discomfort.
• Hepatic illness caused by non-alcoholic fatty liver.
• Diabetes type 2

Overweight and obesity caused an estimated 1.24 million (13%) premature deaths in Europe in 2019. After smoking, high blood pressure, and dietary hazards (such as diets heavy in processed meat, red meat, and salt and deficient in whole grains, legumes, and fruit), overweight and obesity rank as the fourth largest cause of mortality.

Obesity and overweight lower life expectancy by over three years on average. With a high BMI accounting for 7% (almost 8.7 million) of all years lived with a disability, it is also the primary risk factor for years lived with a disability. In other words, illnesses associated with a high body mass index (BMI) cost about 8.7 million years of good life.

Overweight and obesity are thought to be responsible for 80% of type 2 diabetes cases, 35% of ischaemic heart disease cases, and 55% of high blood pressure cases in people in Europe.

Additionally, obesity is probably directly to blame for at least 200,000 new instances of cancer in Europe each year, and this number is predicted to increase over the next several decades. In certain nations, obesity may eventually overtake smoking as the primary cause of cancer. Obesity and overweight also raise the incidence of COVID-19-related deaths and hospitalizations in critical care units. Obesity is related to more than 200 comorbidities.

Summary

Obesity and overweight are serious public health issues. According to recent estimates, there are already over a billion obese individuals, including 880 million adults and 159 children, and the number is continually rising.

Overweight and obesity rates vary by nation in Europe, with the greatest rates among males occurring in Romania, Poland, Croatia, and Slovakia, and among women in Ireland, Romania, and Croatia.

This strains social and healthcare resources and has both direct and indirect consequences for society as a whole. These numbers highlight how urgent it is to reverse this trend through coordinated efforts and customized treatments.

FAQs

References

• Nag, O. S. (2019, March 26). Obesity rates across Europe. WorldAtlas. https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/the-fattest-countries-in-europe.html
• Europe’s obesity statistics: figures, trends & rates by country. (n.d.). Eufic. https://www.eufic.org/en/healthy-living/article/europes-obesity-statistics-figures-trends-rates-by-country