WHO/Europe recently gathered country representatives and experts to set a course for the reduction of childhood obesity in southern European countries: Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal, San Marino, Slovenia, Spain and Türkiye.
The WHO Office on Quality of Care and Patient Safety in Athens, Greece (the Athens Office) organized the first round of subregional policy dialogues on obesity prevention on 18–19 June in collaboration with WHO/Europe’s Special Initiative on Noncommunicable Diseases and Innovation (SNI) and the Ministry of Health of Greece.
There, country representatives and leading health experts discussed evidence-based policies that can tackle the problem of overweight and obesity – conditions that can lead to many deadly noncommunicable diseases, from diabetes to cancer and cardiovascular diseases.
Obesity and overweight: major health risks for southern Europe
According to the latest data, 59% of adults in the WHO European Region currently live with overweight or obesity – the highest rate globally outside of the Americas. Even more concerning is the statistic that 1 in 3 children in the Region live with overweight or obesity.
“For many southern European countries, the prevalence of overweight and obesity, especially childhood obesity, is still among the highest in the Region,” said Dr Kremlin Wickramasinghe, WHO/Europe’s Regional Adviser for Nutrition, Obesity and Physical Activity. “In some parts of southern Europe, nearly half of boys live with overweight or obesity, and this puts them at risk of developing noncommunicable diseases later in life.”
Overweight and obesity rank fourth as a risk factor for death, after high blood pressure, dietary risks and tobacco. Obesity-associated health threats contribute to over 1.2 million deaths in the Region annually.
Dr Eirini Agapidaki, Alternate Minister of Health of Greece, explained the national situation: “Childhood obesity is a serious public health issue in our country. According to relevant indicators, our nation ranks third among European Union member states for obesity in children under 5, second for children aged 5 to 9, and first for children and adolescents aged 10 to 19. Consequently, the vast majority of our population, whether we are talking about children or adults, live with excess weight or obesity.”
Mr Adonis Georgiadis, Minister of Health of Greece, noted, “Unfortunately, these figures are a stark contradiction to our country’s rich tradition of healthy eating, and constitute an urgent call to reevaluate our approach on this issue.”
Dr Agapidaki pointed out Greece’s initiation of a national programme against childhood obesity for the next 2 years. “The programme has already been implemented on a pilot basis in 59 schools across the country and will be expanded nationwide in the upcoming school year. It aims to develop skills in physical activity, nutrition and reducing food waste.”
Dr João Breda, Head of the Athens Office, stated, “WHO/Europe has a strong legacy of taking action to address even the most challenging problems, including obesity, and one of the key areas for innovation is in improving the quality of care for the millions of children and adults in our Region living with overweight and obesity.”
He added, “Greece serves as an example, with the Government currently making significant efforts to combat childhood obesity and demonstrating leadership in facilitating the southern European policy dialogue on obesity. Our WHO Office on Quality of Care is also exploring ways to improve the management of childhood obesity in the context of the health system.”
The Athens meeting statement: policies to battle obesity
The policy dialogue in Athens provided a platform for key stakeholders to brainstorm evidence-based policies to address specific health challenges. The discussions will form the basis of the Athens statement, which will outline priority areas for action.
“This meeting in Athens is a matter of utmost necessity, as we confront an issue that threatens the future vitality and health of our nation’s children,” Mr Georgiadis said.
Dr Wickramasinghe explained, “We need a multilevel policy approach, bringing together commercial food reformulation policies, marketing restrictions for unhealthy products, physical activity promotion and other urgent actions that can create a cumulative effect and shape a healthier environment for all people, for generations to come.”
He concluded, “This initiative is a crucial step forward. By leveraging WHO data and fostering collaboration, we can accelerate action at the country level and drive progress in tackling obesity in all southern Europe.”
The SNI has organized previous policy dialogues on obesity in the Western Balkans and central Asia. The success of these dialogues paved the way for the Athens event and its focus on southern Europe.