1 in 6 People in EU are Obese

21 Oct 2016 --- New statistics from the European Health Interview Survey have revealed that nearly 1 in every 6 people aged 18 or over in the EU was obese in 2014, and that in nearly all member states, the share of obesity increases with age.

The statistics show that 46.1% of people aged 18 or over living in the European Union had a normal weight in 2014, whereas slightly more than half of the adults, 51.6%, were considered as overweight, of which 35.7% were pre-obese and 15.9% obese. A further 2.3% were underweight.

Obesity is defined as a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or over.

The data shows that the share of obese adults clearly varies between age groups and according to education level, however, in nearly all member states, the share of obesity increases with age.

For example, with the exception of those aged 75 or over, the older the age group, the higher the share of obese people. The obesity share in the EU stood at 22.1% for people aged 65 to 74, while it was just below 6% for those aged 18 to 24.

The statistics show a clear pattern for education level, too. The proportion of obese people in the EU falls as the educational level rises. Indeed, while the percentage of obese people among those with low education level reached almost 20%, it decreased to 16.0% for those with a medium education level and to just under 12% for the population with a high education level.

The overall lowest rates of obesity in 2014 among the population aged 18 or over were recorded in Romania, 9.4%, and Italy 10.7%, ahead of the Netherlands, 13.3%, Belgium, and Sweden both 14.0%.

At the opposite end of the scale, obesity concerned more than 1 in 4 adults in Malta 26.0%, and about 1 in 5 in Latvia 21.3%, Hungary 21.2%, Estonia 20.4% and the United Kingdom 20.1%.

Several EU countries have recently announced detailed plans attempting to reduce their rates of obesity, implementing strategies such as food product reformulation and taxation of soft drinks and food products high in sugar, fat and salt.

However, many health organizations claim not enough is being done to combat the epidemic, which has been rising rapidly over the last 2 decades.