Global scourge already affects more than one in four of country’s adults
The global obesity ‘pandemic’ (which affects people on almost every income level) is raging in Portugal where one in four adults is already clinically obese. Thus, national health authority, DGS, took advantage of yesterday’s ‘World Obesity Day’ to launch a set of measures to accelerate the prevention and control of this modern day scourge.
The ‘Roadmap for Action to Accelerate the Prevention and Control of Obesity in Portugal’, involves 10 measures in various areas over the next three years.
According to data now released, obesity already affects 28.7% of Portuguese adults, with more than two thirds of the population (67.6%) classed as (simply) overweight.
Data for 2022 also indicates that childhood obesity is high in this country with the prevalence of overweight reaching 31.9%, and 13.5% of children aged 6 to 8 ‘living with obesity’.
This high prevalence and modifiable risk factors, such as inadequate diet and physical inactivity, have contributed to the “slowdown or even reversal of health improvements” made in recent decades, emphasises the DGS, warning that this impact has been visible in maternal and child health indicators as well as average life expectancy.
According to the roadmap, despite the prevention measures already implemented in Portugal, estimates by the World Health Organisation (WHO) indicate that this year no European country will be in a position to achieve the target of zero growth in obesity.
“This scenario shows the need to intensify efforts in the area of obesity prevention and management,” explaind the DGS, adding that it is in this context that Portugal joined the Acceleration Plan to STOP Obesity – a WHO initiative that brings together a group of countries at a global level.
In practice, the roadmap provides for actions to improve health in the first 1,000 days of life, through the promotion of breastfeeding and the development and digitalisation of maternal and child counselling models for healthy eating.
In nurseries, state schools and universities, the promotion of healthy eating and physical activity will be strengthened, says the DGS, which also intends to establish criteria for public food purchases and guidelines for food on offer in various establishments, such as crèches.
As well as reinforcing obesity prevention in primary healthcare, with advice on physical activity and healthy eating, the plan also establishes mechanisms to support the implementation of the Integrated Care Pathway for People with Obesity, through the creation of Integrated Responsibility Centres for the Non-Surgical Treatment of Obesity.
There are also plans to empower municipalities to promote healthy eating and physical activity by strengthening technical support and funding mechanisms which could be ensured through programme contracts with the ministry of health.
According to the document, obesity has a significant impact on the disease burden of the Portuguese population, and is the second leading risk factor for loss of healthy life years.
According to the DGS, it also has a significant economic impact, with its costs representing 10% of total health expenditure, €207 per capita per year and 3% of the national gross domestic product (GDP).
Every euro invested in obesity prevention brings a return of up to €6, says the roadmap, which, with these new measures, aims to contribute to achieving targets set for 2030 under the National Health Plan and the priority health programmes for healthy eating and physical activity.
LUSA
