Obesity costs europe €70 billion annually in health care and low productivity

At present in Europe, obesity is estimated to cost 70 billion euros annually in health care and lost productivity. The total real burden is likely to be higher, as obesity causes many other diseases, including Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and certain cancers. Addressing a seminar at the European Parliament on ‘Fighting the burden of obesity’ former Prime Minister Alfred Sant said that seen from Brussels, the overall challenge needs to be wrapped up in the question: how shall we assist the different regional and national authorities to combat the disease by creating an EU level strategy? There is a need for strong and comprehensive action aiming at long-term solutions. Ideally this should take the preventive route to treatment, while tackling both the root causes of health inequities as well as their impact. This must cover an EU sponsored approach regarding how to tackle the disease, including more effective information campaigns, a supportive policy towards healthy foods, more economic incentives towards inducing physical activity in our everyday life, and where needed, professional help to individual patients.

“Coming from Malta, I have in all this a personal, indeed a national interest. In the Eurostat October 2016 survey, Malta features as having proportionately the highest number of obese adults in the EU. I am therefore glad to note that the current Maltese presidency of the EU has adopted obesity as one of its health targets, focussing on the issue of “child obesity”. Among other points, it will seek to complete the midterm review of the Action Plan on childhood obesity launched in February 2014 by the Greek presidency. It plans to ensure the finalisation and launching of procurement guidelines for the supply of food to schools. And when EU health ministers gather in March for their “informal” meeting, it intends to put childhood obesity firmly on their agenda. In all this we urgently need to move from talk to action.” remarked Dr Sant.
The Maltese MEP said that the social dimension is also a crucial factor. For the disease reflects the conditions of post industrialisation. Its incidence is higher within poorer strata of our societies. There is evidence to show that an increase in socio-economic disparities correlates with a high level of obesity. In fact, the OECD’s study “Health at a Glance “ for Europe last year, registers a 10% disparity in BMI between those with a high education background and those with a low education background.
“In replies to a series of parliamentary questions I tabled, the European Commission confirmed that there is a significant correlation between the incidence of obesity and being a member of lower socio-economic groups in Europe. Moreover, beyond the medical and the social dimensions, the challenge we face is also financial. Meetings like the ones of today are meant to mobilise a general awareness through a multidimensional but integrated approach bringing together doctors, psychologists, sociologists, health planners, economists, marketeers and politicians among others. Increasingly there is a political will to agree on strategies and plans that apply for our families and societies.”

Obesity has been labelled an epidemic by the World Health Organization. Worldwide, it is the fifth leading cause of death. Estimates show that 42 million infants and young children are obese. 70 million are overweight. Projections for the year 2030 put more than half of our populations as overweight. Again according to the WHO, the upward shift in obesity is associated with increased consumption of high fat and high sugar foods; increased consumption of highly refined and processed foods; decreased consumption of fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes; increased sedentary lifestyles.

Maltese Version – L-EWROPA TONFOQ €70 BILJUN FIS-SENA GĦALL-OBEŻITA`

Fl-Ewropa huwa stmat li l-obeżita` tiswa mas-€70 biljun fis-sena f’servizzi tas-saħħa u produttivita` mitlufa. Il-piż sħiħ ta’ din il-problema aktarx li huwa ogħla, għax l-obeżita` tikkawża mard ieħor bħad-dijabete, mard tal-qalb u kanċer. Waqt li indirizza seminar fil-Parlament Ewropew fuq “Il-ġlieda kontra l-piż tal-obeżita`” l-Ewroparlamentari Alfred Sant qal li biex nindirizzaw din l-isfida minn Brussell irridu nistaqsu: kif se nassistu l-awtoritajiet reġjonali u nazzjonali biex jegħlbu din il-marda permezz ta’ strateġija fuq livell Ewropew? Hemm bżonn ta’ azzjoni ħolistika u b’saħħitha li tinkludi għanijiet fit-tul. Ikun tajjeb li kieku jkun hemm il-prevenzjoni bi strateġija li tolqot direttament il-kawżi ta’ din il-problema u l-impatt tagħhom. L-Unjoni Ewropea tista’ taħdem fuq kampanja ta’ informazzjoni dwar kif tista’ tingħeleb din il-marda, tappoġġja ikel li hu sustanzjuż, tagħti inċentivi favur l-attivita’ fiżika u toffri servizz ta’ għajnuna lil pazjenti individwali.

“Jien li ġej minn Malta, għandi interess personali u anki nazzjonali. Fl-istħarriġ tal-Eurostat ta’ Ottubru 2016 instab li Malta għandha l-ogħla numru ta’ adulti obeżi fl-Unjoni Ewropea. Ninsab kuntent li l-Presidenza Maltija qed tagħti prijorita` lill-obeżita`, billi qed tiffoka fuq l-obeżita` fit-tfal. Fost prijoritajiet oħra Malta se tfittex li tlesti l-Pjan ta’ Azzjoni mibdi taħt il-Presidenza Griega fi Frar tal-2014. Qed tippjana wkoll li tiżgura li jitlestew u jkunu mnedija l-linji gwida dwar l-ikel fl-iskejjel. Meta f’Marzu li ġej jiltaqgħu l-Ministri tas-Saħħa għal-laqgħa informali, Malta beħsiebha tagħti prijorita` lill-obeżita` fit-tfal fl-aġenda tagħha. F’dan kollu hemm urġenza kbira li mill-paroli ngħaddu għall-fatti.” qal Dr Sant.

Dr Alfred Sant qal li d-dimensjoni soċjali hija fattur importanti ħafna tal-marda. Dan għaliex il-marda tirrifletti l-kundizzjonijiet li ġew wara l-industrijalizzazzjoni. Hija aktar komuni fil-faxxa l-aktar fqira tas-soċjeta`. Il-fatti juru li żjieda fid-disparitajiet soċjo-ekonomiċi hija marbuta ma’ livell għoli ta’ obeżita`.
“Fit-tweġibiet ta’ numru ta’ mistoqsijiet parlamentari li issottomettejt jien, il-Kummissjoni Ewropea ikkonfermat relazzjoni bejn l-inċidenza tal-obeżita` u l-faxxa soċjo-ekonomika l-aktar batuta fl-Ewropa. Lil hinn mid-dimensjoni medika u soċjali, l-isfida li qed naffaċċjaw hija wkoll waħda finanzjarja. Laqgħat bħal din tal-lum isiru bil-ħsieb li titqajjem kuxjenza permezz ta’ pjan ħolistiku li jqarreb flimkien tobba, psikologi, soċjologi, ekonomisti, politiċi fost oħrajn. Qed tiżdied ir-rieda politika favur qbil dwar strateġiji u pjanijiet li japplikaw għal familji u s-soċjetajiet tagħna.”
L-Għaqda Dinjija tas-Saħħa qed issejjaħ l-Obesita` epidemija. Fid-dinja l-obesita’ hija l-ħames fattur li jikkawża imwiet. L-istħarriġ juri li tnejn u erbgħin miljun tifel u tifla huma obeżi. Sebgħin miljun għandhom piż żejjed. Tbassir għas-sena 2030 jgħid li aktar min-nofs tal-popolazzjonijiet fid-dinja se jkollhom piż żejjed. Skont l-Għaqda Dinjija tas-Saħħa, iż-żieda fil-ħxuna hija relatata ma’ żjieda fil-konsum ta’ ikel mimli xaħmijiet jew zokkor; żjieda fil-konsum ta’ ikel proċessat u konsum anqas ta’ frott, ħaxix u legumi flimkien ma’ ħajja dejjem aktar sedentarja.