Prevalence and Correlates of Overweight and Obesity in 12 European Countries in 2017-2018

Obes Facts. 2022;15(5):655-665. doi: 10.1159/000525792. Epub 2022 Aug 2.

Abstract

Introduction: Using data from the TackSHS survey, we aim to provide updated estimates on the prevalence and determinants of overweight and obesity in Europe.

Methods: A face-to-face survey was conducted in 2017-2018 in 12 European countries (Bulgaria, England, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Poland, Portugal, Romania, and Spain). Overall, 10,810 participants, representative in each country of the general adult population, provided information on self-reported height and weight.

Results: Almost half of participants (48.1%; 95% confidence interval, CI: 47.2-49.1) reported to be overweight or obese (54.1% in men and 42.5% in women) and 12.6% (95% CI: 12.0-13.2) obese (11.3% in men and 13.8% in women). Obesity prevalence was lowest in Italy (7.5%) and France (8.8%) and highest in Greece (19.7%) and Romania (21.1%). Multilevel logistic random-effects analyses showed that prevalence of obesity was related with higher age and lower level of education and socioeconomic status. As compared to northern European countries, Western and Southern European ones showed a significantly lower obesity prevalence. When compared to a companion study conducted in 2010, Eastern and Northern European countries showed an increased trend in obesity prevalence. Conversely, countries with the lowest obesity prevalence (less than 10%), such as Italy and France, showed a decreased trend.

Conclusions: Despite a large heterogeneity across countries, overweight and obesity prevalence estimates in Europe are alarming, with most of the countries reporting obesity prevalence approaching 20% or more, particularly in Eastern and Northern Europe. Since 2010, obesity prevalence increased in most of these countries.

Keywords: Body mass index; Cross-sectional study; Obesity; Overweight; Pan-European survey.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Body Height
  • Europe / epidemiology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Obesity* / epidemiology
  • Overweight* / epidemiology
  • Prevalence

Grants and funding

This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 681040. The work of Silvano Gallus, Chiara Stival, and Alessandra Lugo was partially funded by the Italian League Against Cancer (LILT, Milan). Esteve Fernandez and Olena Tigova are partly supported by the Ministry of Universities and Research, Government of Catalonia (2017SGR319), and thank CERCA Programme Generalitat de Catalunya for the institutional support to IDIBELL.