Greece faces rising childhood obesity rates

The Association of Private Practitioners of Pediatrics in Attica has highlighted the urgent need for early recognition and personalized treatment of childhood and adolescent obesity. This call for action follows new guidelines released by the World Health Organization (WHO) on October 7.

Data from the WHO's sixth round of the European COSI initiative (2022-2024) indicates that approximately 37% of 7-year-old children in Greece are overweight or obese, with 18% specifically classified as obese. These figures are notably higher than the averages for participating countries, which stood at 25% for overweight and 11% for obesity in the 7-9 age group.

Additional research shows that 22.2% of students aged 11, 13, and 15 were categorized as overweight or obese in 2022, an increase from 19% in 2018. Furthermore, a 2024 study by the Ministry of Health and UNICEF revealed that only 20.6% of adolescents aged 15-17 engage in at least one hour of daily physical activity, while non-educational screen time averages three hours per day.

Medical experts warn that complications, such as pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes, can begin appearing as early as school age, often without obvious symptoms.