Obesity Day, on Oct. 11 each year, is an opportunity to reflect again on obesity, a highly dangerous, yet preventable risk condition with proper nutrition, following the pattern of the Mediterranean diet, and some exercise.
According to the WHO, World Health Organization, it is precisely to lack of physical activity and poor diet that 3.4 million premature deaths are to be attributed. Because obesity and overweight are responsible for 44 percent of diabetes cases, 23 percent of heart disease, and between 7 and 41 percent of some forms of cancer. The debate on how to curb this epidemic is open.
In Italy, an estimated 10 percent of children are obese and twice as many, 20 percent, are overweight. A trend that reflects acquired bad eating habits-accomplice to the invasion of rampant junk food-and a lack of healthy activity. The incidence of obesity is similar (10.2) among Italian adults, while the share of overweight is much higher at 36.2 percent of the population. “Non-standard” people grew by three percent between 2001 and 2014.