According to the World Health Organization (WHO) report, Turkey is the country with the most common overweight problem in the European region. After Turkey, the countries with the highest proportion of overweight in the adult population were Malta, Israel and England, respectively. The report cited obesity as a cause of at least 13 different types of cancer.
59 PERCENT OF ADULTS ARE EXPERIENCED WITH OVERWEIGHT OR OBESITY
The report of the World Health Organization (WHO) revealed that more than half of the adults living in Europe are overweight. According to the 2022 European Obesity Report released by the Copenhagen-based WHO Regional Office for Europe on Tuesday, approximately 59 percent of adults in the region, including Turkey, are facing the problem of overweight or obesity.
According to the report, the problem of overweight and obesity is more common in the Mediterranean region and Eastern European countries. In addition, families with a low level of education are more likely to encounter the problem of overweight and obesity compared to those with a higher education level.
THE MOST COMMON COUNTRY IN EUROPE TURKEY
Turkey is the country with the most common overweight problem in the European region. Accordingly, 66.8 percent of the adult population in Turkey is overweight. This rate was recorded as 69.3 percent for women and 64 percent for men. According to the report, the rate of those defined as obese in Turkey was 32.1 percent.
TURKEY IS FOLLOWED BY MALTA, ISRAEL AND ENGLAND
After Turkey, the countries with the highest proportion of overweight in the adult population were Malta, Israel and England, respectively. The countries with the least overweight problem were Tajikistan (45%), Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan (48%).
OBESITY INCREASED IN THE LAST 50 YEARS
In the report, it was pointed out that obesity has increased by 138 percent in the last 50 years in the European region, which includes 53 countries. In 1975, the rate of overweight or obese was determined as 40 percent.
According to the report, 63 percent of men and 54 percent of women were overweight or obese.
The report found that 29 percent of boys aged 7 to 9 and 27 percent of girls of the same age were overweight or obese. It was stated that this problem is seen in 8 percent of children under 5 years old. The report in question was prepared on the basis of data from 2016.
EPIDEMIA REACHED DIMENSIONS
The report warned that “overweight and obesity have reached epidemic proportions” in the European region. “High body mass index is an important risk factor for non-communicable diseases, including cancer and cardiovascular diseases,” said Hans Kluge, WHO Europe Director.
According to WHO Europe, those with a body mass index above 25, calculated on the basis of weight and height, are classified as overweight, and those over 30 are classified as obese.
CAUSES CANCER
The report cited obesity as a cause of at least 13 different types of cancer. It is estimated that at least 200,000 cancer diagnoses per year are due to obesity. It is stated that this number may increase in the coming years.
In the report of WHO, it was noted that more than 1 million 200 deaths per year in the European region are due to overweight and obesity. Accordingly, it was stated that 13 percent of annual deaths are due to overweight and obesity.
WHO cited the coronavirus pandemic as one of the reasons for the increase in overweight and obesity. It was stated that the closure measures implemented in countries triggered unhealthy diet and sedentary life.
WHO has called on politicians to take action on the fight against overweight and obesity. In this context, WHO proposed increasing taxes on sugary drinks and subsidies on healthy foodstuffs. In addition, it was requested to impose restrictions on the promotion of products that may be harmful to health to children. “Political measures targeting environmental and economic factors that lead to malnutrition in the entire population will probably be the most effective method to prevent the obesity epidemic,” the WHO’s report said.