Italy faces rising childhood obesity as chronic health threat

The Italian National Institute of Health (ISS) has identified childhood obesity as a chronic pathology rather than a transient condition. Data from the ‘OKkio alla Salute’ surveillance system indicates that approximately 10% of children aged 8-9 in Italy are obese, with an additional 19% being overweight.

Longitudinal studies presented by ISS President Rocco Bellantone reveal a phenomenon known as ‘obesity tracking.’ Approximately 55% of obese children remain obese through adolescence, and over 70% of adolescents with obesity carry the condition into adulthood. This progression significantly increases the long-term risk of diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, tumors, and psychological disorders.

The issue disproportionately affects southern Italian regions and socio-economically disadvantaged contexts. Experts emphasize that adolescence is a critical window for intervention to alter the disease trajectory before it consolidates in adulthood.