Overweight, obesity affect 29% of Italian children aged 8-9

An estimated 28.8 percent of Italian children between 8 and 9 years of age were overweight or obese in 2023, with the highest rates recorded in southern regions such as Campania and Calabria, a report showed on Monday, said Xinhua.

Marking World Obesity Day, which falls on March 4, the Italian branch of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) highlighted obesity as a major concern in Italy.

"Overweight and obesity pose growing threats to children's health...With easy access to unhealthy and cheap food, kids-especially those from poorer backgrounds-are not getting the nourishing diet they need for proper growth," said UNICEF Italy chief Carmela Pace.

In its report The Right Weight, UNICEF stated that "almost 2 out of 5 children in Italy do not have an adequate breakfast, over half consume a large mid-morning snack, and 1 in 4 have sugary or carbonated drinks daily, while consuming fruit and vegetables less than once a day."

Regarding physical activity, more than 70 percent of children surveyed said they do not walk or cycle to school, and nearly half spend more than two hours daily watching television or using tablets and mobile phones.

When considering young people up to the age of 19, the incidence of overweight and obesity in Italy rose to about 36 percent among girls and 43 percent among boys.

Domestic data in the UNICEF report was based on the latest surveillance survey by Italy's National Health Institute (ISS), which involved over 50,000 children and families.