Greece ranks third among European countries with overweight and obese children under the age of 5 (a ratio of 1 in 8 children), according to the World Health Organization's European Regional Obesity Report 2022.
At the same time, Greece ranks second in obesity for the ages 5-9 and first among European countries for obese 10-19 year-olds. Overall, approximately 1 in 3 Greek children is overweight or obese (37.5% and 35%, respectively).
According to WHO's European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative (COSI), 42% of Greek children aged 7-9 years are either overweight or obese, placing Greece second among 33 countries participating in the study published in 2022.
Due to this alarming fact, an agreement that will help prevent but also combat child obesity was signed on Thursday by Minister for Health Thanos Plevris, General Secretary for Public Health Irini Agapidaki, and UNICEF's Representative in Greece Luciano Calestini.
The Greek health ministry devised the National Action Plan against Childhood Obesity in Greece in collaboration with UNICEF. The plan will be implemented on a national, regional and local level nationwide as of June.
It is recalled that a study published by the World Health Organization in 2015 showed that by the year 2030, 77 percent of Greek men and 67 percent of Greek women will be overweight.
Being overweight is defined as having a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 25 to 29.9. Obesity – a growing cause of disease and disability around the world – and starts with a BMI of 30.
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