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The World Health Organization has warned that children ordering meals through smartphone apps and using online games are helping to spread obesity across Europe.
No European country is heading towards reducing the prevalence of obesity by 2025, according to the organization.
It turns out that regarding 60 percent of adults and a third of children suffer from obesity, and the spread of the Corona epidemic has exacerbated the crisis.
The organization proposes restricting the marketing of unhealthy foods to children, lowering the prices of healthy foods, and encouraging people of all ages to exercise.
And the World Health Organization’s report on obesity in Europe for the year 2022 stated that the levels of obesity and overweight have reached the epidemic level in Europe, where only Americans are superior to Europeans in this regard.
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Fast food contributes to obesity
The report estimates that the problem causes 1.2 million deaths annually in Europe, or 13% of the total annual deaths, in addition to at least 200,000 cases of cancer.
The increase in body fat percentage increases the risk of developing other diseases, including 13 types of cancer, diabetes, and heart and lung problems. The report says that it leads to disabilities.
The report notes that obesity is a complex disease, which is more than a combination of an unhealthy diet and lack of movement.
Hans Kluge, Regional Director for Europe at the World Health Organization, said obesity knows no borders. “There is great diversity in the countries of our region, but they are equally challenging. However, we can change the obesity curve in the region by building robust health systems.”
The digital environment in Europe affects people’s eating habits, so the report calls for it to be closely monitored.
Meal delivery apps, for example, play a role in increasing the consumption of foods that are high in sugar and fat.
And it is clear from research conducted in Britain that eating a ready-made meal provides a person with an additional 200 calories per day, compared to food that is prepared at home. This means that the child consumes as much meals as he needs for an extra day each week.
But the report presented at the European Congress on Obesity also states that home delivery and online ordering can be positively used to improve diet and facilitate access to healthy food.
As for playing online, which is a common practice among children, it has in turn been linked to obesity, unhealthy behavior and lack of movement.
The World Health Organization believes that technology can be used to improve the physical and mental health of young people.
Obesity and overweight in Europe affect:
- 8 percent of children under five
- 29% of children between five and nine years old
- 25% of people between ten and nineteen
Some policies have been followed in Britain, for example, to tackle obesity, including requiring restaurants and large cafes to display the number of calories per product.
There is also a plan to ban television advertisements promoting high-sugar food before 9pm across Britain.
