One fifth of children in Ukraine are overweight - WHO

In Ukraine, children aged 7 to 9 years old are overweight in 22% of cases, of which 8% are obese. At the same time, in the European region and Asia children with overweight are 25%, with obesity - 11%. This is reported by the WHO.

The organisation stresses that overweight and obesity cause more than 1.2 million deaths in the region every year.

Overweight and obesity is a major cause of disability and mortality, as these conditions are associated with many non-communicable diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and certain types of cancer," the study says.

The organisation points out that children in southern Europe had the sharpest onset of weight gain, while the lowest incidence of obesity was found in Central Asia.

The WHO calls the actual figures alarming and points out that there are more obese children in almost all countries in Europe and Asia.

The highest prevalence rates of overweight and obesity were found in countries such as:

Cyprus - 42% of children;
Italy - 37 per cent;
Greece - 37 per cent;
Croatia - 36 per cent;
Malta - 35%;
Spain - 34 per cent.

Dr Kremlin Wickramasinghe, Regional Advisor for the WHO European Region on Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity, believes that reducing obesity among children requires policy changes. For example, introducing restrictions on the marketing of unhealthy food and labelling such food products with special stickers.

Note that obesity in children can be caused by many factors. The main causes include:

1. Improper diet:

   • Consumption of high-calorie foods that are low in nutrients, such as fast food, sugary drinks, sugary snacks.
   • Lack of vegetables, fruits and other healthy foods in the diet.
   • Overeating, especially against a background of boredom, stress, or emotional problems.

2. Lack of physical activity:

   • Leading a sedentary lifestyle, such as spending a lot of time in front of a TV screen, computer or mobile devices.
   • Lack of activity in and out of school, lack of physical education or sports.

3. Genetic predisposition:

   • If parents have weight problems, the likelihood of a child being overweight is greatly increased.

4. Psychological and social factors:

   • Emotional problems such as stress, depression or anxiety can lead to overeating as a way of coping with these feelings.
   • Environmental influences, where the availability of junk food and lack of support for a healthy lifestyle can contribute to obesity.

5. Sleep disorders:

   • Sleep deprivation or irregular sleep patterns can affect the hormones that regulate appetite, leading to overeating and weight gain.

6. Hormonal disorders:

   • Certain conditions, such as hypothyroidism or polycystic ovarian syndrome, can contribute to weight gain.