Report highlights direct link between pandemic and childhood obesity in Europe

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to elevated obesity in school-aged youngsters in Europe, the World Health Organization (WHO) workplace for the area mentioned in a brand new report issued on Wednesday, sounding the alarm for motion.

Results from 17 nations confirmed that boys and ladies aged seven to 9 spent extra time taking a look at screens and much less time taking part in exterior, mirroring a rise in obese youngsters in this identical age vary.

More than 50,000 youngsters have been surveyed from 2021 to 2023, following the beginning of the worldwide shutdowns in March 2020.

A nuanced image

“The image that this report paints is nuanced; in some nations there have been constructive adjustments, equivalent to extra households consuming collectively, however there have been additionally some regarding findings, together with a rise in unhealthy dietary habits and sedentary time,” mentioned Dr. Kremlin Wickramasinghe, WHO/Europe’s regional adviser for vitamin, bodily exercise and obesity.

The report revealed that 36 % of kids elevated their time spent watching tv, taking part in on-line video games or utilizing social media throughout the weekdays, and 34 % elevated their leisure display time on weekends.

Other key highlights embody 28 % of kids skilled a lower in time spent on outside actions throughout weekdays, 42 % reported a decline in happiness and wellbeing and one in 5 reported feeling unhappy extra often.

On a extra constructive notice, households reported a rise in consuming home-cooked meals, consuming collectively, and cooking meals along with youngsters.

Create supportive environments

Dr. Wickramasinghe hoped the report will push nations in the area to take pressing motion to enhance vitamin and bodily exercise by creating environments that help wholesome behaviours.

“We can not afford to disregard these tendencies. In our area, one in three youngsters resides with obese and obesity, and already fruit and vegetable consumption is low,” he mentioned.

Dr. Ana Rito, Head of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Nutrition and Childhood Obesity and co-author of the report, underscored its significance.

“Equipping the area and Member States with concrete proof of problematic outcomes of world pandemic-based behavioural adjustments will allow us to method future well being crises with larger technique and sympathy,” she mentioned.

A brighter future

The pandemic highlighted the urgency of tackling childhood obesity, WHO mentioned, and nations have to construct again higher by prioritising wholesome consuming and bodily exercise for all youngsters.

WHO advisable measures equivalent to advertising restrictions, taxes on unhealthy merchandise, clear vitamin labels on meals and school-based programmes to enhance diets and promote bodily exercise.

The company mentioned the brand new knowledge “can be utilized to tell and enhance present insurance policies throughout the area and form much-needed plans for future emergencies and pandemics that will result in interruption of academic processes or faculty closures”.