Obesity rise in southern Europe

The loss of the Mediterranean diet could account for the ‘huge rise’ in the proportion of overweight children in southern European countries, says the author of an international review.

In the UK the prevalence of overweight children aged 7-11 rose from 8 per cent to 20 per cent between 1984 and 1998, according to the paper published by the International Association for the Study of Obesity. The report reveals even higher proportions of overweight children in southern European countries across similar timescales.

Joint author of Overweight Children in Europe Dr Tim Lobstein told healthmatters that the move away from the traditional Mediterranean diet could be one explanation for the increase.

The report says the ‘most promising explanation’ for the increasing rates may be poor maternal and fetal nourishment and low levels of breastfeeding. That could lead to rapid weight gain in an infant’s early months, followed by a childhood diet based on energy-dense foods, a low intake of fruit and vegetables and an urban culture with lower levels of physical activity.

The paper says that excess weight gain among children is more common among higher income families in less industrialised societies, especially as they move to urban areas, and among lower income families in more industrialised areas.

A north-south trend within countries has also been reported, with a survey in Italy showing children in the south of the country with rates of overweight of 23 per cent compared to 13 per cent in central and northern areas. That trend is reversed in the UK, where children in northern regions are more likely to be overweight.