Obesity a hefty time bomb hovering above Greece
The Health Ministry is reportedly preparing a special program for obesity, as citizens and many doctors still do not consider it a disease and do not take targeted measures to deal with it. The program will focus on prevention, early diagnosis and treatment with free follow-up by a nutritionist and other professionals.
“Today in our country 63% of adults are overweight and obese, while 37.5% of children aged 2-14 are overweight and obese,” noted Anastasia Barbouni, president of the Hellenic Public Health Association, which participates in the “Alliance to Combat Obesity” that presented data on the occasion of World Obesity Day on Monday.
“The data shows that 50% of people do not eat fruit and vegetables, have abandoned the Mediterranean diet and prefer soft drinks to water,” she said. Equally problematic, she noted, is the lack of mobility, which for many people is limited to moving between different rooms at home.
