Europe Heading For Obesity Epidemic By 2030

Europe is likely to face an obesity crisis of "enormous proportions" by the year 2030, according to experts from the World Health Organisation.

Researchers say almost three quarters of men and 63% of women in the UK will be classed as overweight or obese by that year.

People in the Republic of Ireland are expected to be at the forefront of the obesity crisis, where the proportion of obese and overweight men is predicted to rise to 89%.

Some 85% of women in the Republic are likely to be overweight or obese, according to experts.

The predictions are based on unpublished estimates from the WHO Modelling Obesity Project, which have been presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Prague.

The forecast places Irish men at the top of an "overweight" table of 53 countries, matched only by Uzbekistan.

For women, Bulgaria and Belgium are predicted to have the highest rate of overweight and obese people in 2030.

Other countries with projected steep rises in obesity included Greece, Spain, Sweden, Austria, and the Czech Republic.

"Overweight" is defined as a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 25 to 29.9, and "obese" by a BMI of 30 and above.

The "overweight" category also included anyone who was obese for the purposes of the study.

Dr Laura Webber, from the UK Health Forum in London, who co-led the research, said: "Our study presents a worrying picture of rising obesity across Europe.

"Policies to reverse this trend are urgently needed.

"Although there is no 'silver bullet' for tackling the epidemic, governments must do more to restrict unhealthy food marketing and make healthy food more affordable.

"There are also some countries in which there were insufficient data. As these countries improve their obesity surveillance, more accurate estimates can be forecast."