Strategy by WHO to combat excessive weight issues across Europe
Catching Up with the World Health Organization's (WHO) European Obesity Report
The World Health Organization (WHO) has let the cat out of the bag in its latest report, revealing a dire situation concerning the rising rates of overweight and obesity across Europe. Not one European nation is on track to meet the obesity goals the WHO set out in 2015, according to the report.
In response, the WHO has proposed a fresh approach to address obesity issues. This new strategy involves less pressure on individuals to maintain healthy eating habits and instead focuses on societal factors that undermine healthy nutrition.
Dr. Joshua Petimar, a Research Scientist at Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute and Harvard Medical School, highlighted the importance of this shift. "Improving nutrition and health requires us to shift our focus from 'personal responsibility' toward broader society-wide solutions," he said.
Predatory industry practices, poor food access, unaffordability of healthy foods, and other macroscopic factors, according to Petimar, negatively influence eating behaviors. Solutions that only focus on individual responsibility without addressing societal factors are falling short of solving the primary threats to populations' nutrition and health.
The WHO report notes that barriers to implementing effective obesity policies include a continuing focus on the individual's responsibility rather than broader societal responsibilities.
Arthur Delcourt, a registered dietician and biomedical scientist at the Université Catholique de Louvain in Belgium, voiced his disappointment on Twitter: "So sad to note that obesity [continues its] epidemic run throughout the world... It's a big failure for politicians, public health organizations, medical staff, and researchers."
Dr. Hans Henri P. Kluge, the WHO's Regional Director for Europe, emphasized the universality of rising obesity rates: "Obesity knows no borders. In the Europe and Central Asia, no single country is going to meet the WHO Global NCD target of halting the rise of obesity."
He further stressed, "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."
According to the report, 59% of adults in Europe have overweight or are living with obesity. Among children, 29% of boys and 27% of girls qualify as having obesity. These numbers have seen an alarming increase during the pandemic.
The WHO estimates that overweight and obesity are responsible for over 13% of deaths – 1.2 million – in the region annually. They are also the leading behavioral factors behind disability, causing 7% of cases. If left unchecked, obesity can lead to cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases, and 13 types of cancer. It is directly responsible for at least 200,000 new cancer cases each year.
For nations funding national healthcare, managing obesity is an expensive issue, directly consuming as much as 8% of overall health costs in EU countries in 2014. It also costs 30% more to treat people with obesity than those without.
To tackle this escalating crisis, the WHO has proposed a comprehensive approach to creating a culture that encourages healthy eating. The key strategies include:
- Fiscal interventions such as taxation on sugar-sweetened beverages or subsidies for healthy foods.
- Restrictions on the marketing of unhealthy foods to children.
- Improvement of access to obesity and overweight management services in primary health care, as part of universal health coverage.
- Efforts to improve diet and physical activity across the life course, including preconception and pregnancy care, promotion of breastfeeding, school-based interventions, and interventions to create environments that improve the accessibility and affordability of healthy foods and opportunities for physical activity.
The European Association for the Study of Obesity supports high-level political commitment in addressing the obesity epidemic, crucial for supporting health system resilience.
The WHO urges member states to gather the political will to solve the obesity crisis. Their approach should be comprehensive, targeting individuals across the life course and addressing inequalities. Efforts to prevent obesity need to consider the wider determinants of the disease, and policy options should move away from approaches that focus on individuals and address the structural drivers of obesity.
- The World Health Organization (WHO) has revealed that no European nation is on track to meet the obesity goals it set out in 2015, according to its latest European Obesity Report.
- Dr. Joshua Petimar, a Research Scientist at Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute and Harvard Medical School, emphasized the importance of shifting focus from personal responsibility towards broader society-wide solutions to improve nutrition and health.
- The WHO report notes that barriers to implementing effective obesity policies include a continuing focus on the individual's responsibility rather than broader societal responsibilities.
- Arthur Delcourt, a registered dietician and biomedical scientist, voiced his disappointment on Twitter about the continuous spread of obesity, stating that it's a failure for various groups including politicians, public health organizations, medical staff, and researchers.
- The WHO estimates that overweight and obesity are responsible for over 13% of deaths, causing 1.2 million deaths annually in the region, and directly responsible for at least 200,000 new cancer cases each year.
