The Challenge Of Obesity: A Global Crisis

Key Facts

• Overweight and obesity remain major causes of disability and death in the WHO European Region. Recent data indicates the challenge of obesity leads to more than 1.2 million deaths yearly throughout the Region.
• They stand as the fourth most frequent risk factor for noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in this Region, trailing high blood pressure, dietary risks, and tobacco.
• Nearly 60% of adults live with overweight or obesity. Men show higher rates (63%) compared to women (54%).
• Among school-aged children, one in three experiences overweight or obesity.
• For children under 5, 8% have overweight (including obesity).
• A quarter of adolescents have overweight (including obesity).
• The prevalence of obesity is greater in adults who have lower educational attainment.
• Childhood overweight patterns also differ by parental educational status. In many high-income nations, children’s overweight rates climb when parents have lower education. However, in several middle-income nations, this relationship inverts.
• Adult obesity prevalence increased by 138% from 1975 to 2016, including a 21% jump between 2006 and 2016.
• From 1975 to 2016, overweight and obesity among children aged 5–19 nearly tripled in boys and more than doubled in girls.
• No European Region Member State is currently on course to halt the rise in obesity by 2025.

Overview

Overweight and obesity refer to abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that can harm health. Obesity raises the risk of numerous NCDs, including cardiovascular diseases, 13 forms of cancer, type 2 diabetes, and chronic respiratory diseases like obstructive sleep apnoea. In the European Region, obesity likely contributes directly to at least 200 000 new cancer cases yearly, and this number is set to grow. In some nations, obesity may surpass smoking as the top cancer risk factor. Moreover, individuals with overweight and obesity faced disproportionate impacts from COVID-19, including higher odds of intensive care admission and mortality.

Weight gain, expressed as increased adipose tissue, occurs when energy intake persistently exceeds energy expenditure. This apparent simplicity can mask the complex influences on behaviors that drive food consumption and physical activity. The challenge of obesity has multiple, interconnected causes, including social determinants, and no single intervention can solve it alone.

Successful policies demand high-level political commitment, strong leadership, and backing from government administrations. They must be comprehensive, addressing people across all stages of life while tackling inequalities. Prevention efforts should account for broad determinants—including environmental and commercial factors—and move beyond individual-focused solutions, instead confronting the structural drivers of this public health challenge. Commercial determinants refer to the tactics used by the private sector to promote products that can harm health.

WHO’s Response

Addressing the challenge of obesity is crucial for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially SDG 3, which calls for healthy lives and well-being for all ages. This priority also aligns with the European Programme of Work, 2020–2025, called “United Action for Better Health.” Although policy frameworks and action plans—like the 2016 “Report of the Commission on Ending Childhood Obesity”, the “European charter for counteracting obesity”, and the “Global nutrition targets 2025: childhood overweight policy brief”—aim to halt obesity’s rise, rates continue growing in the European Region. No Member State appears on track to halt obesity by 2025.

In 2022, WHO/Europe released the “WHO European regional obesity report 2022” and a related policy brief. These publications seek to intensify efforts to stop the increase in obesity. They include the latest statistics on the challenge of obesity in the Region and emphasize incorporating obesity prevention and control into post-COVID-19 recovery strategies. The report highlights the need for robust health systems that enable multisectoral action against obesity through a whole-of-government approach, where every stakeholder contributes swiftly.

The Special Initiative on NCDs and Innovation (SNI) leads the WHO European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative (COSI), one of the largest programs tackling the challenge of obesity worldwide. This effort spans most European Region Member States, providing essential, nationally representative data about primary school-aged children. The SNI also offers country-level technical support for implementing evidence-based interventions to halt overweight and obesity, emphasizing enhanced surveillance, integrated policy measures, and improved care services for individuals living with overweight or obesity.