Medicus, Vol. 27 No. 1 Debljina i ..., 2018.
Pregledni rad
Epidemiology of Obesity as a Public Health Issue
Sanja Musić Milanović
Dora Bukal
Sažetak
Obesity is one of the greatest public health issues of today, not only in developed countries but in developing and undeveloped
countries as well. The terms 'overweight' or 'obesity' both indicate excessive accumulations of fat in the body posing a risk to individual’s health. Risk factors contributing to obesity include inadequate nutrition, physical inactivity, sedentary lifestyle and genetic factors. On the other hand, overweight and obesity represent risk factors for the development of leading chronic (noncommunicable) diseases of today: cardiovascular
diseases, diabetes, neoplasms, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and mental disorders. More than 1.9 billion adults worldwide are considered overweight or obese. The share of adults (aged 18 or over) who were considered overweight or obese amounted to 51.6% and 57.4% in the EU Member States and in Croatia, respectively. Childhood obesity represents a growing problem for health and well-being in the early stages of life. In the Republic of Croatia, the prevalence of overweight/obese children has increased from 20.8% in 2003 to 34.9% in 2015. Overweight, obesity and the associated chronic (noncommunicable) diseases can be prevented in a supportive environment where an individual can choose food with
higher nutritive value, do physical activity and reduce the time spent doing sedentary activities. Moreover, social interventions are often necessary to implement measures and policies that encourage an individual to choose a healthier lifestyle.
Ključne riječi
overweight; obesity; chronic (noncommunicable) diseases; healthy lifestyle
Hrčak ID:
199405
URI
Datum izdavanja:
26.4.2018.
Posjeta: 4.344 *