CHILDHOOD OBESITY IN GREECE

Christina Barmpagianni

and its development the last 30 years

IN GENERAL “Abnormal or excessive fat accumulation

that may impair health” Body mass index- BMI (weight-for-height)

kg/m2

According to WHO: ≤ 25 overweight ≤ 30 obese

Complex disorder NOT just a cosmetic problem A current health problem with serious

symptoms Treatment / Solution / Prevention

KEY FACTS

Worldwide has more than doubled since 1980 Currently, more than 1.9 billion adults, 18

years and older, are overweight. Of these over 600 million were obese.

Translation in percentage: 39% overweight and 13% obese.

Obesity kills more than being underweight does

SPECIFICALLY 42 million children under the age of 5

were overweight or obese in 2013 Worldwide prevalence of obesity more

than doubled between 1980 and 2014

ETIOLOGY Environmental Genetic

Energy imbalance between calories consumed and calories expended increased intake of energy-

dense foods that are high in fat

decrease in physical activity due to the increasingly sedentary nature of many forms of work, changing modes of transportation, and increasing urbanization

Role is estimated 40–70% (more than 41 sites of genome)

Genes both obesogenic and leptogenic Leptin deficiency, leptin

receptor deficiency Suspicion of inheritance (or

is it common lifestyle?) Major feature in syndromes,

such as Prader-Willi , Bardet-Biedl, Cohen, Ayazi, MOMO, Down..

Hypothyroidism

Greece leads the world in overweight and obese kids

“AT YOUR AGE WE DIDN’T HAVE FOOD” 1821-32 Greek war of independence 1841 Cretan revolt against Ottoman Empire 1854 Thessaly and Macedonia revolts against

Ottoman Empire 1897 Greco-Turkish war 1904-08 Macedonian struggle 1912-13 Balkan wars 1914-18 World War I 1918-22 Asia Minor 1939-45 World War II 1946-49 Greek Civil War 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus

Older generation suffered acute deprivations and therefore believe that being overweight is a sign of health

Fat babies and children are still seen as being more desirable than lean ones.

“JUNK” COSTS LESS (OR NOT?) Sine 2004 there has been

increase in incidence of childhood obesity

Result of financial crisis

“People are now forced to eat low-cost foods, which are often foods with low nutritional value”

Efthymios Kapantais, president of the Hellenic Medical Association for Obesity (HMAO)

CONSEQUENCES Generally Childhood

Cardiovascular diseases Heart disease & stroke

(leading causes of death in 2012)

Diabetes Myoskeletal disorders

osteoarthritis Cancer

endometrial, breast, colon Vision problems

Macular degeneration

Higher chance of obesity later in life

• premature death and disability in adulthood

• breathing difficulties • increased risk of

fractures• Hypertension• early markers of

cardiovascular disease• insulin resistance• psychological effects

SOLUTION(?)

At the individual level: limit energy intake from total fats and sugars increase consumption of fruit and vegetables, whole grains engage in regular physical activity

At the societal level: support individuals in following the recommendations above, through sustained

political commitment and the collaboration of many public and private stakeholders make regular physical activity and healthier dietary choices available, affordable

and easily accessible

Food industry: reducing the fat, sugar and salt content of processed foods ensuring that healthy and nutritious choices are available and affordable practicing responsible marketing especially those aimed at children and teenagers

Medicine: Surgical approaches (liposuction) Weight loss medication

CURRENT HEALTHCARE APPROACH- TREATMENT VS PREVENTION

Prevention of childhood obesity would cost less than its treatment (to

government and individual)

BIBLIOGRAPHY Iliadis E. Childhood obesity and related health problems. Childhood

obesity and diabetes. 2001 Papadimitriou A, Kounadi D, Konstantinidou M, Xepapadaki P, Nicolaidou

P. Prevalence of obesity in elementary schoolchildren living in Northeast Attica, Greece. Obesity (Silver Spring) 2006

Kollias AK, Skliros EA, Leotsakos N, Gikas A, Garifallos D. Childhood obesity in relation to parental weight status in Greece. Hippokratia. 2009

Molla, R. (2014, August 21). Greece Leads the World in Overweight and Obese Kids. The Wall Street Journal.

Madden, C. (2000, September 15). “Obesity is a disease”. Athens News.

Obesity. (n.d.). Retrieved October 8, 2015, from http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/obesity/basics/definition/con-20014834

Obesity and overweight. (2015, January 15). Retrieved October 8, 2015, from http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs311/en/

(2015, October 7). Retrieved October 8, 2015, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_wars_involving_Greece#Modern_Greece

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION

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