58% of Poles overweight or obese: Tackling the rise of obesity in the world
Anna Rusak,29.12.2023 08:00According to the Our World in Data report, obesity and overweight is a widespread problem across the globe. Shockingly, none of the 195 countries have reported any significant decrease in weight, and the majority have seen a notable increase. What is the problem like in Poland?
Our World in Data is a scientific publication that provides an electronic platform to compare and analyse the living conditions of people around the world. It is a research project based at the University of Oxford. According to PAP reports, Our World in Data has released an interactive map featuring new data on obesity and overweight worldwide.
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The map allows us to identify the countries where obesity and overweight are most severe. The data presented on the map is from 195 countries. The latest figures from Our World in Data suggest that 58% of people in Poland are either overweight or obese.
The most obese country in the world
According to a report by Our World in Data, the percentage of people worldwide struggling with obesity and excess weight has increased over the past four decades. The report analysed NCD Risk Factor Collaboration data covering 128.9 million people across 195 countries. The interactive map displays how the percentage of overweight people in a country has changed between 1975 and 2016.
The report included both underweight and overweight people, using Body Mass Index (BMI) as a proxy to determine weight status. A BMI of over 25 indicates overweight, while a BMI of 30 or more indicates obesity. Unfortunately, the results from the report are not very promising. The Republic of Nauru has the highest percentage of obese or overweight people, with 90% of the population affected.
Other countries with high rates include Pacific island states such as Tonga and Micronesia, while the United States is ranked 15th. The data shows that no nation has lost weight over the past forty years, and the vast majority have actually gained weight.
58% of Poles are obese or overweight
According to the report, in 2016, 58.3% of Polish people, especially women, had issues with obesity or being overweight. In 1975, this percentage was only 40.2%. This shows that the problem of excessive weight in Poland is increasing.
The WHO report from last year also supports this claim. It states that almost 60% of adults in European countries are struggling with obesity. Poland is ranked as the 27th most obese country in Europe.
Furthermore, data from the NFZ in 2021 shows that around 25% of Poles are obese, with 53% of women and 68% of men in Poland being overweight. The WHO also estimates that there are 1.2 million deaths per year in Europe due to being overweight and the associated health consequences.
Source: ourworldindata.org, PAP, nfz-lodz.pl
