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Italy obesity recognition and public health trends

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2026-09-21 20:13 UTC → 2026-09-24 15:11 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Italy is preparing to legally recognize obesity as a chronic, progressive, and relapsing disease starting October 1, 2025, following the approval of the Pella Law. Health experts have cautioned against oversimplifying the cause of childhood obesity by blaming specific foods, noting instead that it is a multifactorial pathology influenced by genetics, environment, and socioeconomic factors. Data from the Italian National Institute of Health (ISS) highlights the severity of the issue, reporting that approximately 10% of children aged 8-9 in Italy are obese, while 19% are overweight. Research indicates a significant ‘obesity tracking’ phenomenon, where 55% of obese children remain so through adolescence and over 70% of obese adolescents carry the condition into adulthood. This progression increases long-term risks for diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, tumors, and psychological disorders. The crisis disproportionately affects southern regions and socio-economically disadvantaged populations. In response to adult obesity rates—estimated at 11.8% obesity and 46.3% overweight—the Policlinico di Milano has implemented a new diagnostic-therapeutic-assistential pathway (Pdta). Coordinated by Anna Ludovica Fracanzani, this multidisciplinary program targets patients with grade II and III obesity, or grade I patients with comorbidities, through nutritional, metabolic, and psychological evaluations. Meanwhile, the industry group Federalimentare has questioned the efficacy of sugar taxes. The group argues that while taxation may influence product reformulation, it does not directly reduce obesity rates, citing England as an example where adult obesity rose from 28% to 30% following the 2018 Soft Drinks Industry Levy, despite a significant reduction in beverage sugar content.

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