In Spain, one in three women and one in five men over age 55 are obese. The problem of obesity is considered a huge epidemic of the 21st century. Four in ten adults are overweight in Spain, and 14.5% are obese. The forecast in Spain is that people who are overweight and obese will increase in the following years, mainly due to fast food and lack of physical activity. This is one of the conclusions of the XVII National Meeting of the Spanish Association of Surgeons, which took place in Canary Islands.
Morbid obesity decreases life between 15 and 20 years on average and deteriorates the quality of life of people who are morbidly obese. In addition, these patients tend to have diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular disorders.
The problem of the obesity increases with age. The percentage of individuals ages 25 to 60 who are obese in Spain are 13.4% in men and 15.7% in women. In this Congress, the experts claimed that obesity is a primary threat in Spain, and it is demanded that the public institutions consider this issue as a priority, taking into account that it is the first time in history that there are more people who are overweight than underweight worldwide.
There are variations in different regions. For example, in the Canary Islands, where this conference took place, 18% of the archipelago’s population is obese, and more than 50% are overweight.
The most economical solution is to encourage healthy habits like good nutrition and daily physical activity practice.
For more information (in Spanish), go to www.adn.es/sociedad/20091022/NWS-1433-espanoles-sobrepeso-obesos-tiene-son.html.
