Human weight

The weight of the average 18-year-old Greek man and woman has increased by 15 and 7 kilos respectively over the last 20 years - 2-4 kg more than their peers in America, and 3-5 kg more than other Europeans - according to a health expert speaking to the Athens-Macedonian News Agency.

Poor diet, lack of sleep and exercise, and very low rates of breastfeeding are seen as the main causes of children being overweight in Greece. 

Experts also note the Greek mentality that associates the expression of love with the offer of large quantities of food, as well as celebrations with the consumption of sweets. 

Ljubljana – The latest measurements have revealed the Covid epidemic has severely impaired school children’s physical efficiency, making 10% addicted to digital devices, and increasing the share of overweight kids by 30%. Experts thus propose several measures to address the issue, such as no more school closures and possibly no homework.

Two out of three Bulgarians are obese or unhealthily overweight. By this alarming indicator, our country is ahead of both Europe and the world, show the most up-to-date WHO data for 2021, and the reason to quote it is World Obesity Day - 4 March. This means that over 61% of Bulgarians suffer from obesity.

Nearly one in five people in Turkey is obese, according to the results of a 2019 health survey released by the TÜİK on June 4.

The survey showed that 21.1 percent of the Turkish people aged 15 years and older had a body mass index of 30 or over, TÜİK said. The rate was 19.6 percent in 2016.

According to data of the World Health Organization 61.7% of Bulgarians over 18 are overweight which places the country close to top of the list in Europe regarding this index.

The situation is similar with children - 13.6% are overweight. Experts say that this is due mostly to an unhealthy lifestyle that includes a high-calorie diet combined with lack of exercise, BNR reported.

After a study, US scientists found that by 2030, nearly half of the older Americans will be overweight, BTA reported. The problem of obesity turned out to be more serious than expected.

In five years, every second person is expected to be overweight. 40 percent of people over 18 in the world are currently overweight. Prof. Zdravko Kamenov, Head of the Clinic of Endocrinology and Diseases of Exchange at the Aleksandrovska University Hospital, said this at the BTA National Press Club.

People below the average height are more likely to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, according to a study cited by France Press and BTA.

The 10 cm height increase is an average of 41% less risk of diabetes for men and 33% less risk for women. The study also considered other factors such as age, lifestyle, educational qualifications and waist circumference.

Life expectancy in Europe continues to increase but obesity and the growing proportion of people who are overweight risks reversing this trend, the World Health Organization warned Wednesday.