Obesity has now become an epidemic that is spreading rapidly in our country. Experts are sounding the alarm that half of Albanians are overweight, and children are no exception.

“In the decade before the pandemic, the percentage of obese individuals increased from 10% to 15%. Meanwhile, the number of overweight individuals has reached half of the population, with a growing trend among children,” said Alban Ylli, an expert at the Institute of Public Health.

Obesity is considered a disease that brings numerous health consequences.

“Obesity is linked to diseases, primarily chronic ones. We can even talk about an epidemic of obesity and diabetes. Another important group of diseases associated with obesity is cardiovascular diseases,” Ylli added.

Experts state that most diseases are being observed in individuals who are overweight, which is why they recommend paying close attention to body mass.

“One of the simplest techniques recommended by the WHO is measuring waist circumference. Adult men with a waist circumference over 102 cm and women with a measurement over 88 cm should consider themselves obese,” explained Alban Ylli.

Diet and lack of physical activity are the two main factors contributing to the increase in overweight and obesity.