(05-05-07) Childhood Obesity Rate In European Union Reaches 5.1 Million

Mary K. Brunskill - AHN Staff Writer
Budapest, Hungary (AHN) - About 22 million of the 75 million children in the European Union are overweight, with Spain, Malta, Scotland, Greece, Portugal and England having some of the highest percentages of overweight kids. The figures, reported at the 15th European Congress on Obesity on Sunday, also showed that 5.1 million of the EU's 22 million overweight children are obese.
According to Associated Press reports, Martin Fried of Charles University in Prague said, "Over 80 percent of obese kids remain obese as adults. The rise of child obesity shows some frightening figures."
Fried also said that the escalating rates of childhood obesity could potentially result in a crisis in the European labor force.
"If the trend continues, who is going to work within 10 years in countries where obesity is on the rise?" he said. "This is going to be a disaster when they reach working age."
People are considered overweight when they have a body mass index from 25 to 29.9 and obese when it is 30 or above. A BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 is considered normal.
Data gathered from 2000 to 2002 showed that Spain had the highest rate of overweight boys at 35 percent. Portugal had the highest rate for overweight girls at 34.3 percent.
Paul Sacher of the University College London developed a program that will be presented at the conference that was able to significantly reduce weight in obese children. His multi-disciplinary program incorporated exercise, nutrition and empowerment.
President of the European Association for the Study of Obesity Vojtech Hainer said obesity is a "complex disease" that reduces life expectancy by two years.
"In many European countries, more than half the population is overweight or obese," he said.
"Over 80 percent of obese kids remain obese as adults," said Martin Fried of Charles University in Prague. "The rise of child obesity shows some frightening figures."
Spain had the highest rate of overweight boys, with 35 percent in that category in 2000-2002. Other countries with high rates - 29 to 31 percent - were Malta, Scotland, Greece, Portugal and England.
Portugal had the highest rate for girls, at 34.3 percent, followed by Scotland, with 32.9 percent, and Spain, with 32 percent. The Netherlands, Slovakia, Estonia and Finland were among the countries with the lowest rates of overweight children.


Source:AHN Media Corp

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