Men even more than women: 6 out of 10 adult Europeans are too fat

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It’s not just the shirt that gets too tight: overweight and obesity are generally among the leading causes of disability and death in Europe.

Obesity and overweight in Europe have reached “epidemic proportions,” says the WHO. Ist latest European Obesity Report reports that 59 percent of adults weigh far too much. This has unhealthy, sometimes fatal consequences.

More than half of adults in Europe weigh too much, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Fifty-nine percent of adults in the WHO European Region live overweight or obese. The proportion was higher among men (63 percent) than women (54 percent), WHO Europe said in its European Obesity Report 2022, which has just been released.

For WHO Europe, people are considered overweight with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 25, and from 30, the experts speak of obesity. BMI is calculated from height and weight.

“Epidemic proportions”

Rates of overweight and obesity have reached “epidemic proportions” throughout the WHO Europe region, the Copenhagen-based organization said. None of the 53 countries in the area is currently on track to meet the goal of halting the rise in obesity by 2025, it said. The prevalence among adults is higher only in the Americas, it said. In addition to the EU, the WHO counts Turkey, Russia, Ukraine, and other eastern countries among its European Region.

How obesity affects Covid-19

Overweight and obese people have been disproportionately affected by the effects of Covid-19 in the pandemic, according to WHO data. Those affected would have shown a higher risk of hospitalizations and deaths. Not only that, preliminary data suggest that obesity among children and adolescents is on the rise due to the Corona pandemic. This is partly d to changes in food consumption and lack of physical activity during lockdown periods.

The report said that overweight and obesity (adiposity) are generally among the leading causes of disability and death in the WHO Europe Region. In some countries, obesity could even replace smoking as the leading risk factor for cancer in the coming decades. Obesity could bring various health consequences, including cancer and chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma, strokes and other cardiovascular diseases, liver, and kidney problems, mental problems, and back pain.