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. 2022;15(5):655-665.
doi: 10.1159/000525792. Epub 2022 Aug 2.

Prevalence and Correlates of Overweight and Obesity in 12 European Countries in 2017-2018

Chiara Stival  1 , Alessandra Lugo  1 , Anna Odone  2   3 , Piet A van den Brandt  4   5 , Esteve Fernandez  6   7   8   9 , Olena Tigova  6   7   8   9 , Joan B Soriano  6   10 , Maria José López  11   12   13   14 , Silvia Scaglioni  15 , Silvano Gallus  1 ; TackSHS Project Investigators
Affiliations

Prevalence and Correlates of Overweight and Obesity in 12 European Countries in 2017-2018

Chiara Stival et al. Obes Facts. 2022.

Abstract

Introduction: Using data from the TackSHS survey, we aim to provide updated estimates on the prevalence and determinants of overweight and obesity in Europe.

Methods: A face-to-face survey was conducted in 2017-2018 in 12 European countries (Bulgaria, England, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Poland, Portugal, Romania, and Spain). Overall, 10,810 participants, representative in each country of the general adult population, provided information on self-reported height and weight.

Results: Almost half of participants (48.1%; 95% confidence interval, CI: 47.2-49.1) reported to be overweight or obese (54.1% in men and 42.5% in women) and 12.6% (95% CI: 12.0-13.2) obese (11.3% in men and 13.8% in women). Obesity prevalence was lowest in Italy (7.5%) and France (8.8%) and highest in Greece (19.7%) and Romania (21.1%). Multilevel logistic random-effects analyses showed that prevalence of obesity was related with higher age and lower level of education and socioeconomic status. As compared to northern European countries, Western and Southern European ones showed a significantly lower obesity prevalence. When compared to a companion study conducted in 2010, Eastern and Northern European countries showed an increased trend in obesity prevalence. Conversely, countries with the lowest obesity prevalence (less than 10%), such as Italy and France, showed a decreased trend.

Conclusions: Despite a large heterogeneity across countries, overweight and obesity prevalence estimates in Europe are alarming, with most of the countries reporting obesity prevalence approaching 20% or more, particularly in Eastern and Northern Europe. Since 2010, obesity prevalence increased in most of these countries.

Keywords: Body mass index; Cross-sectional study; Obesity; Overweight; Pan-European survey.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Percent prevalence of overweight (OW; body mass index, BMI, between 25.0 and 29.9 kg/m2) and obesity (OB; BMI ≥30 kg/m2) among adults from 12 European countries. Countries are coloured according to obesity prevalence (light grey means relatively low prevalence; dark grey means relatively high prevalence). The TackSHS survey, 2017–2018.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Percent prevalence and 95% confidence interval (CI) of overweight/obesity (body mass index, BMI ≥25 kg/m2) and obesity (BMI ≥30 kg/m2), overall and by country, in men (M) and women (W) from 12 European countries. Prevalence estimates for the overall population were computed weighting each country in proportion to the country-specific adult population. The TackSHS survey, 2017–2018.
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