Rise in obesity across Europe predicted

Europe will face a major obesity crisis by 2030 sparking fears of a rise in Type 2 diabetes, according to the latest projections by the World Health Organization (WHO).

In the UK, one third (33 per cent) of women are forecast to be obese in 2030, compared with over one quarter (26 per cent) in 2010, the figures suggest.

A further 64 per cent of women will be overweight in 2030, compared with 59 per cent in 2010. For men, almost three quarters (74 per cent) will be overweight in 2030 compared with 70 per cent in 2010, while 36 per cent of UK men will be obese in 2030 compared with 26 per cent in 2010.

The projections come from the UK Health Forum and the WHO Regional Office for Europe and were released at this year’s European Congress on Obesity in Prague, Czech Republic.

Dr Joao Breda, from the WHO Regional Office for Europe, Copenhagen, said: “Although this was a forecasting exercise, and therefore data needs to be interpreted with extreme caution, it conveys two strong messages – first that the availability and quality of the data in countries needs to be improved, and second these predictions show that more needs to be done in terms of preventing and tackling overweight and obesity.”

Dr Laura Webber, of the UK Health Forum based in London, said: “Our study presents a worrying picture of rising obesity across Europe. Policies to reverse this trend are urgently needed. Although there is no ‘silver bullet’ for tackling the epidemic, governments must do more to restrict unhealthy food marketing and make healthy food more affordable. There are also some countries in which there were insufficient data. As these countries improve their obesity surveillance, more accurate estimates can be forecast.”

Louise Ansari, Diabetes UK Director of Prevention of Type 2 diabetes, said: “It is a cause for great concern and a wake-up call for urgent action to be taken that almost three quarters of men and almost two thirds of women in the UK are projected to be overweight by 2030.

Until more is done we will continue to witness the devastating impact of diabetes on both human lives and the already strained NHS budget

“Being overweight or obese puts millions more people at increased risk of getting Type 2 diabetes – a serious health condition that, left undiagnosed or poorly managed, can lead to devastating complications including blindness, kidney failure and amputation. So these projections highlight an urgent need for action to be taken to encourage people to follow a healthy lifestyle, maintaining a healthy weight through doing regular physical activity and eating a healthy diet.

“The National Type 2 Diabetes Prevention Programme, a joint initiative by the NHS England, Public Health England, and Diabetes UK will play a significant role in identifying those at high risk of developing Type 2 diabetes and helping them reduce their risk.

“But more is needed. Action should include restrictions on marketing junk foods to children, legislation to reformulate of foods to reduce overall calorie intake, measures to make unhealthy foods less appealing, and greater investment being put into encouraging people to cycle, walk and be more active generally. Until more is done we will continue to witness the devastating impact of diabetes on both human lives and the already strained NHS budget.”