Nearly two-thirds of adults in Europe are overweight or obese; about 60 percent of Europeans are overweight. The percentages among minors range from 29 percent of overweight or obese boys and 27 percent of girls. In the Netherlands, almost half of the population is obese. That appears from a study published on Tuesday from the World Health Organization (WHO), which warns that health problems are likely to continue to increase.
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Only in the United States is obesity and overweight more common than in Europe, according to the WHO researchers. They note that obesity and overweight pose an increasing risk of death. Excess weight is more often linked to cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and cancer. The researchers state that obesity will pose a greater risk of developing cancer than smoking in a number of European countries. Now, according to the study, some 1.3 million deaths worldwide are caused by obesity and overweight.
There is overweight in a Body Mass Index (BMI) from 25 to 30; with a BMI higher than thirty, the predicate is seriously overweight or obese. BMI is an internationally used term that reflects the relationship between body weight and height.
Epidemic proportions
In Europe, obesity is more common among men (63 percent) than among women (54 percent). The WHO says those percentages have reached “epidemic proportions” and that the corona pandemic has made the obesity problem “even more urgent” because overweight patients with Covid-19 are at greater risk of long-term illness, cardiovascular problems and death.
In the report, the researchers make a number of recommendations to European governments, such as a tax on sugar-sweetened drinks. The health organization also advocates a limitation of advertising campaigns about unhealthy food aimed at children.