A nagging national problem could balloon into a nightmare unless measures are taken: Greek children are increasingly overweight. Though the country lacks a comprehensive study on the matter, isolated study results are alarming. The Hellenic Medical Association of Obesity recently found that 10% of youngsters are overweight and another 10% obese. Among children aged 1 to 6 years, obesity rates are as high as 15%. Other studies have come up with overweight rates of over 30%. Not only do these children face health problems like diabetes, but also many of them could grow into overweight or obese adults, risking even more serious health problems in the future.
Greece is actually following a European trend manifesting itself over the past two decades. The World Health Organisation reports that, 320,000 people die in Europe annually from obesity. Europeans may even have matched the hefty weights of Americans – with one-third of the population falling into the obese category. The European Association for the Study of Obesity fears that by 2030, 60-70% of Europeans will be overweight and 40-50% obese.
Moreover, obesity rates in Western Europe among children are 5-15% vs. 20-25% in the US . The highest rates in Europe are in the south, as studies indicate that 36% of Italian children, for instance, aged 6-11 are overweight. The International Obesity Task Force places Spanish and Greek children in the same heavyweight range. The organisation draws its figures for Greece from a study in Crete in the late 1990s and another in Thessaloniki in 2001 . The latter research indicates that 31% of 6-10 year-olds are overweight.
The head of Greece’s National Nutrition Policy Committee, Dr Antonia Trichopoulou, questions the IOTF figures due to the limited size of the sample. She believes that Greece is following – not leading – a European trend. The committee (assembled in December 2002 by the ministry of health ) is currently planning ways of dealing with childhood obesity.
A plethora of studies
Despite the lack of comprehensive, nation-wide research results, every few months a new study on childhood obesity appears. The most recent finds include:
· 8.6% of children aged 7-12 are obese and 11.9% are overweight. For 13-19 year-olds, 6.1% are obese and 16.3% overweight. (Hellenic Medical Association of Obesity Study, 18,000 participants, ages 1-19).
· 23% of children are overweight and 10% obese. (Hellenic Organisation of Child and Adolescent Obesity, 4,700 Attica children, ages 6-12).
· Female 18-year-olds weigh 2 kilos more than their US counterparts; males weigh 3 kilos more. ( Pediatric Clinic of the University of Athens , Greece-wide study, 10,000 participants, ages 1-18).
· Child obesity rates reach 36%. (Pediatric Clinic of Nikaia Hospital, 6,700 children aged 6-12 years from South-western suburbs of Nikaia and Korydallos)
· Among boys, 25.9% are overweight and 5.1% obese, while 19.1% of girls are overweight and 3.2% obese (Panagia Hospital, Thessaloniki, 2,500 children, ages 7-17).
Olive oil, grannies
The statistics are surprising less shocking if one considers that Greek adults are the heaviest in Europe. According to Eurostat , nearly 27% of Greek males and 18% of Greek women are overweight (1996 figures, obese not included). Their children’s weights are not “normal” either, says physician Efthymios Kapantais, president of the Hellenic Medical Association of Obesity. He thinks that Greek adolescents are still catching up with US kids’ weights, posing an enormous problem for the near future. This is evidenced by a recent study by Denmark's National Institute of Public Health , in which Greek 13-15 year-old males were second only to their US counterparts in weight.
Like most experts, Kapantais gives two main reasons why Greek children are becoming increasingly overweight: a lack of exercise and an increase in caloric intake. Improper nutrition (fast food, unhealthy snacks) and a decrease in family sit-down meals are to blame. Though not yet scientifically proven, Kapantais has a theory on why Southern European kids are the heaviest in Europe. He points out that the olive oil-based Mediterranean diet is very healthy by itself; however, in combination with other fatty foods (like hamburgers) it becomes very dangerous. He thinks the Greek grandmother also plays a role: while taking care of the kids, unfortunately, she tends to overfeed.
The final clincher is that Greek youngsters are inactive. They spend more and more hours in tutoring sessions, watching TV, playing video games or in front of computers. Schools don’t help – with unhealthy canteen options and, in some cases, only an hour of physical education a week. “We need to give children the time to be active,” Kapantais reminds.
Trimming the fat
Experts agree that working with schools and parents is critical to promoting healthier eating habits. They also caution against commercial weight-loss programmes. The Hellenic Medical Association of Obesity will continue working on its massive obesity study and educating health professionals on dealing with patients. Because his organisation lacks the budget needed for a massive information campaign, Kapantais hopes the health and education ministries will take care of getting the word out, particularly to parents.
Fortunately, a major promotion of the issue will occur in 2005, when the 14th annual European Congress on Obesity will be held in Athens. Health care officials hope that raising the population’s awareness about the dangers of an obesity epidemic will help tip the scales in the right direction, towards lower weights.
