Unfavorable eating habits, patterns of activity during the COVID-19 pandemic contribute to the problem
Levels of overweight and obesity continue to rise in Europe, reaching epidemic proportions and escalating, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). A recent report by the agency also justifies fiscal policies to promote good food.
The prevalence of adult obesity is the second largest in the European region, preceded only by North and South America, with 59% of adults, 29% of boys and 27% of girls overweight or obese, according to the UN Health Agency. .
None of the 53 Member States in the region is on track to meet the WHO’s global target of non-communicable diseases to stop obesity by 2025, according to the WHO’s European Regional Report on Obesity 2022, published on 3 May 2022. d.
There is a temporary reduction in the prevalence of those between 10 and 19 years of age.
Dr Hans Henry P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe, said:
Obesity knows no bounds. In Europe and Central Asia, no country will meet the WHO’s global goal of the NCD to halt the rise in obesity.
The trajectory of obesity in the region can be reversed by creating a more conducive environment by encouraging investment and innovation in healthcare and developing strong and sustainable healthcare systems, she added.
The two health indicators are also the leading causes of death and disability, causing 1.2 million deaths a year or more than 13 percent of all deaths, the WHO said.
Obesity also increases the chances of several NCDs, including 13 different cancers (and leads to 200,000 new cancers each year), cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and chronic respiratory disease.
Obesity is one of the three broad groups of malnutrition. This is the result of “an imbalance between energy consumption (too much) and energy consumption (too little),” the global health authority said. “Globally, people consume foods and beverages that are more energetic (high in sugar and fat) and less active.
The other two are malnutrition – which is assessed on the basis of weight loss (low weight versus height), stunted growth (low height for age) and underweight – and micronutrient-related malnutrition – which is assessed on the basis of insufficient vitamin intake. and minerals.
The COVID-19 pandemic has only complicated the problem of obesity and overweight that plague Europe. “There have been adverse changes in food consumption and physical activity patterns during the pandemic that will have an impact on the health of the population in the coming years and will require significant reversal efforts,” the report said.
Earlier studies found that the prevalence of overweight and obesity increased in children in European nations during the pandemic. The results include increased consumption of foods high in fat, sugar and salt and reduced physical activity.
The report proposes fiscal interventions such as taxing sugar-sweetened beverages or subsidies for healthy foods and restricting marketing to children of junk foods. But the main policy remains to improve management services.
“People living with obesity can benefit from an approach aimed at improving patient-centered health outcomes, not just weight loss or maintenance,” the report said. Individual care plans that address the causes of obesity and provide support for behavioral change are recommended, the report said.
In addition, additional therapies (psychological, pharmacological and surgical interventions) could be considered, he added.
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