World Health Organization sounds alarm on obesity ‘epidemic’ in Europe

The World Health Organization released a study this week warning of a growing obesity “epidemic” in Europe, causing 200,000 cancer cases and 1.2 million deaths a year.

The alarming report showed “nearly two thirds of adults, 59 per cent, and almost one in three children – 29 per cent of boys and 27 per cent of girls – is either overweight or obese,” according to the United Nations.

Further, the WHO says “Being chronically overweight and obesity are among the leading causes of death and disability in Europe. Estimates suggest they cause more than 1.2 million deaths annually, which corresponds to more than 13 percent of total mortality in the region.”

The obesity trend also leads to other non-communicable diseases that can disable or kill people, the WHO warns. “Obesity also increases the risk for non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including 13 different types of cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and type 2 diabetes. It is likely to be directly responsible for at least 200,000 new cancer cases annually across the region, and this figure is set to rise further in the coming years.”

The report also says obesity is the number one cause of disability in Europe, accounting for 7 percent of total years lived with disability. 

According to WHO experts, it is not too late to reverse course on obesity in Europe. “By creating environments that are more enabling, promoting investment and innovation in health, and developing strong and resilient health systems, we can change the trajectory of obesity in the Region,” said WHO Regional Director Dr. Hans Kluge.

Obesity is influenced by the environment, so it is important to look at this problem from the perspective of every stage of life. For example, the life of children and adolescents is impacted by digital environments, including marketing of unhealthy food and drinks,” said Dr. Kremlin Wickramasinghe, whose office produced the report.