2024欧盟肥胖症现状挑战与机遇研究报告英文版-欧盟_52页_2mb

Obesity Prevention and Management in the European Union: Current Challenges and Opportunities

Overview

Obesity is a complex, multifactorial disease with significant health and economic consequences. It is characterised by excessive adiposity, and its progression is influenced by a combination of individual, behavioural, environmental, socioeconomic, and commercial determinants. The prevalence of obesity in the European Union (EU) has been increasing, with 16.5% of the adult population affected in 2019, and over half of the population classified as overweight. The disease contributes to a range of serious health conditions, including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and various cancers, and it is linked to an increased risk of severe outcomes from infections like COVID-19.

Key Findings

Obesity is associated with substantial human and economic costs. In the EU, it is expected to reduce life expectancy by nearly three years in the next three decades. In OECD countries, up to 8% of health budget expenditure is projected to be allocated to treating obesity-related conditions between 2020 and 2050. Employment rates are also influenced, with individuals with obesity being less likely to be employed, and more likely to experience absenteeism and reduced productivity. The disease negatively impacts academic performance and school outcomes, particularly for children and adolescents, and is linked to psychological effects such as depression and stress.

Determinants of Obesity

The development of obesity is influenced by a complex array of factors, including individual (genetic, biological, psychological), behavioural (diet, physical activity, and sleep), and environmental factors. It is influenced by socioeconomic conditions, such as income, education, employment, and housing, and it persists across generations, highlighting the importance of addressing obesity at critical life stages. Additionally, the digital food environment, including online grocery shopping and food delivery services, plays an increasing role in shaping dietary habits and health outcomes, particularly affecting vulnerable populations and children.

Obesity Prevention and Management in the EU

The EU has taken several actions to address obesity, including the 2007 Strategy on Nutrition, which aims to improve consumer information and promote healthy food accessibility, along with the EU Action Plan on Childhood Obesity (2014–2020). Policies such as food taxation, food labelling systems like Nutri-Score, and community-based interventions are highlighted as effective measures to guide consumer choices and create health-promoting environments. The European Commission has also pursued research through Horizon Europe and EU4Health, expanding understanding and developing obesity prevention initiatives and food reformulation projects.

Health-Promoting Environments

The EU and national policies have a significant role in creating environments that promote healthy lifestyles. These include initiatives to improve physical environments, such as encouraging active transport and access to green spaces, which have been found to support physical activity. At the same time, the digital food environment requires integrated approaches to tackle issues such as misleading marketing tactics and harmful online food advertising, especially impacting children.

Healthcare for Individuals Living with Obesity

Healthcare for individuals living with obesity must be integrated, multidisciplinary, and patient-centred to account for the complexity of the disease. Influential strategies are those that promote a patient-centered environment, through behavioural interventions, psychotherapy, pharmacological support, and possibly surgical interventions. Professionals must be trained in empathetic communication and the complexity of obesity to ensure effective and equitable care, prescribing and accessing treatment options in a comprehensive manner to manage comorbidities and improve quality of life.

Opportunities and Challenges

The management of obesity requires a multidisciplinary approach, involving public health policies, economic strategies, and public and private sector cooperation. Opportunities include the implementation of more comprehensive obesity prevention policies that consider upstream determinants, while challenges include the high costs of new medications and the difficulty of sustaining such initiatives in healthcare systems, particularly for low-income populations. The exploitation of digital environments remains an area requiring further regulatory effort for public health outcomes.

Conclusion

Obesity is a major public health challenge that requires structural, comprehensive, and coordinated action. The EU has initiated several support and policy actions, but further coordination and integration are needed to safeguard health and economic impacts, reduce health inequalities, and ensure sustainable obesity management practices where they are most needed, especially among vulnerable populations and at critical life stages.