High rates of overweight and obesity plague both US and Europe; comprehensive policies are needed to curb rising health risks.
🔗 Read the article on elconfidencial.com
[This is an automatically generated summary, for reference only]
Obesity and overweight are significant public health issues in both the United States, where 74% of adults are overweight and 43% are obese, and across Europe, where nearly 60% of adults suffer from these conditions. In Spain, adult prevalence has risen sharply, with figures reaching 62.2% for men and 48% for women in 2023. While some European countries show lower rates, others like Romania and Poland have high levels of overweight among men. Experts warn that without effective political intervention, Europe risks approaching the obesity levels seen in the US, particularly concerning childhood obesity. Preventing this requires comprehensive, multi-sectoral strategies promoting healthier diets and increased physical activity, as individual measures are insufficient. Excess weight is linked to numerous severe health risks, including cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, metabolic disorders, respiratory issues like sleep apnea, joint problems, liver diseases, certain cancers, and psychological issues such as anxiety and depression.
