According to experts, overweight and obesity are currently among the main causes of disability and death, as they are linked to many non-communicable diseases, from cardiovascular and diabetes to various types of cancer.

Recent estimates suggest that these factors are the cause of more than 1.2 million annual deaths across the region.

The WHO/Europe report for 2022-2024 on (WHO/Europe), based on the sixth round of the European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative, reveals worrying regional trends, as 25 percent of children aged seven to nine would be overweight and 11 percent would be obese.

Boys are more significantly impacted than girls: 27 percent are overweight and 13 percent are obese, compared to 23 percent and nine percent of girls, respectively.

“Despite ongoing efforts and high-level discussions, the prevalence of overweight and obesity among children in this age group remains alarmingly high,” said Dr. Kremlin Wickramasinghe, WHO/Europe regional adviser on nutrition, physical activity and obesity.

He warned that a key challenge is commercial interests that obstruct decision-making processes and delay the implementation of sound policies that promote health.

“Evidence shows that policies such as mandatory restrictions on the marketing of unhealthy foods and mandatory front-of-pack labels for food products are effective tools to reduce childhood obesity,” he said.

ied/oda/lpn