In recent years, obesity and overweight have been increasing in Polish children and adolescents at an exceptionally fast pace; already every fourth of them has excessive body weight – experts alerted during the XNUMXth National Nutrition Congress.
Director of the Warsaw Nutrition Institute, prof. Mirosław Jarosz said that Poland is no exception, because obesity and overweight have been systematically increasing worldwide since the beginning of the 70s. At that time, the body was overweight by an average of 25%. adults and only 10 percent. children up to 18 years of age. “Since then, overweight and obesity have been increasing at an increasing pace, and we are not doing anything about it, we are constantly losing” – warned the specialist.
Prof. Jarosz cited data showing that in 1998, i.e. after 25 years, the percentage of adults with excess body weight in the world increased to 40%, and children – to 15%. In 2006, it was already 50 percent. adults and 20 percent. overweight or obese children, and in 2016 – 65 percent, respectively. and 25 percent
The specialist explained that the prognosis is even more disturbing. In 2025, 75 percent will have excess body weight. adult world population and 30 percent. children and teenagers. “At the same time, there are more and more people with severe, already pathological obesity, whose health and life are most at risk,” he added.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) report published in 2017, the number of obese children and adolescents worldwide has increased eleven times in the last 40 years: from 11 million to 120 million.
Prof. Anna Fijałkowska from the Institute of Mother and Child in Warsaw said that already in the first years of life, the percentage of Polish children with abnormally high body weight increases from 10 percent. in six-month-old infants to almost 25 percent. in 3-year-olds.
“We are an infamous leader in Europe in the group of 8-year-olds, one third of whom is overweight or obese” – emphasized the specialist. This is especially true in boys, who usually show more weight problems than girls.
As she said, it is incorrect to believe that it is primarily teenage girls who are obese. “Many girls have an incorrect image of their body and lose weight unnecessarily, more often than boys” – argued prof. Fijałkowska.
The data presented by the specialist shows that more than half of girls aged 11-15 with a healthy body weight use or intend to adopt a slimming diet (about 40% of boys).
Among adolescents, the percentage of children with abnormally high body weight decreases over a period of time – from 26 percent. in 11-year-olds up to 24 percent. in 13-year-olds, 15 percent in 15-year-olds and 12 percent in 17-year-olds. In this group, girls are also less likely to have abnormal body weight.
“Unfortunately, after this period, when young people enter adulthood, the percentage of people with excess body weight increases rapidly, mainly among men” – warned prof. Fijałkowska. At the age of 35-39, more than half of our population in 2015-2018 showed excess body weight, especially men.
According to experts, research indicates that southern Europe has the largest number of overweight and obese children and adolescents on our continent. Our kids generally fare better in this comparison, but we belong to the infamous leaders in Northern Europe.
According to prof. Fijałkowska, in the years 2002-2014, out of 24 European countries, Polish children took 12th place. In recent years, however, the number of Poles who are overweight and obese has been growing again. One of the main reasons, she believes, is the decline in physical activity.
According to prof. Jarosz, 69% of the adult population shows excessive body weight. Poles and 59 percent. Polish women. “Many people are not aware of the fact that they are gaining weight because they do not control their body weight, while even in a short period of time, you can gain a few kilos” – warned the specialist.
The director of the Institute of Food and Nutrition argued that a nationwide and comprehensive program of combating overweight and obesity is necessary. In his opinion, otherwise we will not cope with this civilization epidemic and we will incur huge costs of treating many diseases, mainly cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and cancer.