Over 60% of Poles have a problem with excessive body weight, and every fourth adult in Poland suffers from obesity. Unfortunately, the situation in Polish schools is also dramatic, with almost every fourth pupil weighing too much. What is the situation like throughout the world, what really causes this state of affairs, and are we able to stop the greatest scourge of the 21st century?

This year’s coronavirus pandemic has forced the public to have a serious discussion about our general health condition. It has been reported in the media quite regularly that the second most vulnerable group to Covid-19 infection, after seniors, are obese people. What’s more, a few weeks ago, the British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, added fuel to the fire by announcing a comprehensive plan for a great national slimming down of the British people.

And while this won’t be an article about coronavirus, undoubtedly the outbreak of the pandemic was a pretty significant trigger in terms of implementing the British government’s new strategy. In April this year, the aforementioned Johnson himself ended up in intensive care for the infection. As he pointed out during his address to the nation, the severity of his illness forced him to reflect on his health and motivated him to lose excessive pounds.

You will read a little more about the British idea itself, because it seems interesting to say the least, but first it is worth focusing on the reasons for the current state of affairs.

Causes of obesity in the world

To say that the subject is very complex and ambiguous would be an understatement. Unhealthy eating habits and insufficient physical activity are certainly among the main causes of overweight and obesity. However, to reduce the causes of this blood-feeding scourge to diet and exercise alone would not only be unfair but, above all, not entirely constructive.

Among the indirect causes of too much weight we can also mention such as:

• lifestyle,
• industrial progress, technology, urbanisation,
• easy access to processed and high-calorie foods,
• chronic stress and emotional disorders such as depression,
• hormonal disorders,
• medications (including steroid therapies),
• “genetics”.

Probably the last of these causes will arouse the greatest controversy, so we will discuss it first. As we can read in the guidebook of the Mother and Child Institute Foundation (available here http://www.imid.med.pl/fimid-poradnik-web.pdf), research shows that 70% of children whose both parents are obese are also obese. If the parents are slim, the risk of obesity in the child is only 10%.

Of course, this does not mean that even if someone has ‘inherited’ a tendency to put on weight, obesity must affect them. Here we return to the environmental factors mentioned at the outset, namely eating habits and physical activity – ultimately these will have the greatest impact on our condition.

Other causes are, unfortunately, a grim sign of our times. We are replacing muscle work and physical activity with machines and means of transport, outdoor entertainment with television, computers, telephones and games consoles, and unhealthy food is the one most prominently displayed in markets and advertisements.

Emotional and hormonal disorders and obesity

It is no coincidence that emotional disorders also appear on the list of causes of obesity. The World Health Organisation informs us that 320 million people suffer from depression worldwide and, according to forecasts, it will become the second most common illness in the world in 2020 and the first in 2030. In turn, a report by the National Health Fund in February shows that as many as 3.5 million Poles took antidepressants last year.

Depression has become a serious social problem and is often accompanied by neglect of physical activity and healthy eating habits. It can result from lowered mood, reduced energy, loss of life satisfaction or eating disorders.

On this occasion, it is worth mentioning Katarzyna Napiórkowska’s excellent campaign in cooperation with the Ministry of Health: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNHQO_GmZpU

In the context of hormonal disorders and their impact on obesity, it is certainly encouraging that more and more people are choosing to be tested for Hashimoto’s disease or insulin resistance. A correct diagnosis makes it possible to tailor appropriate recommendations and menus, and people affected by these ailments can also seek support in numerous publications and books. Two very comprehensive and substantive articles have recently been prepared by our nutritionist, Paulina Krause:

Hashimoto’s disease diet – https://www.fitatu.com/blog/en/hashimotos-disease-diet-what-to-eat-and-what-to-avoid/

13 recommendations for insulin resistance – https://www.fitatu.com/blog/en/insulin-resistance-13-recommendations-from-a-nutritionist/

How to fight obesity?

We promised to expand on the UK Prime Minister’s latest idea for tackling obesity, and this one seems very interesting indeed. The strategy is based on two pillars: encouraging Britons to be more physically active and taking care of their diet. The first pillar will be implemented, among other things, by means of bicycles, which from now on are to be available…on prescription!

A doctor who diagnoses a patient with weight problems will be able to prescribe physical exercise in the form of a bicycle. Those Britons who cannot afford to buy the equipment will be able to rely on a grant from the government. There have also been £50 vouchers to cover bike repairs, which are said to have sold out instantly. Of course, the whole strategy is long term and also involves heavy investment in infrastructure, communications and community campaigns. In addition, GPs are to help obese patients by setting up exercise and diet plans.

The second pillar is a mission to make Britons pay attention to what they eat. Unhealthy products are to disappear from TV adverts before 9 p.m., and there will be revolutionary changes to the way products are displayed on supermarket shelves. There will be restrictions on sweets, chips and fast food, and a very interesting ban on the sale of unhealthy food near the entrance and checkout areas. The government plans to broadcast special campaigns to improve citizens’ culinary skills.

For more information on the British idea, see the article: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-obesity-strategy-unveiled-as-country-urged-to-lose-weight-to-beat-coronavirus-covid-19-and-protect-the-nhs. We know that some of you live in the UK every day, so be sure to let us know how this strategy is going and whether you have noticed any changes.

Obesity in the world

What is the fight against obesity like in other parts of the world? In Spain, during the coronavirus epidemic from March to May alone, almost half of the population was said to have gained weight, and not long ago the local army was also struggling with the scourge of obesity – soldiers were, however, given special training and diet plans after failing fitness tests. Vending machines for unhealthy food disappeared from French schools some years ago, and restaurants are not allowed to offer their customers refills on drinks as part of the fight against too much sugar in the diet.

Anti-obesity programmes have already been operating successfully for several years in the Netherlands, Belgium and the Scandinavian countries. Julia Klöckner, Germany’s Minister for Agriculture and Food, has also been commissioned to implement a similar strategy across our western border, with an agreement with many sectors of the food industry to reduce the sugar, fat and salt content of frozen and other convenience products.

 The battle against obesity on several fronts has also been going on in the United States for many years. In most schools, children now have access to healthy breakfasts, snacks and balanced lunches, and states that provide healthier meals can count on subsidies from the federal administration. Americans take a very pragmatic approach, reporting that obesity costs the national budget as much as $150 billion annually in medical expenses alone.

Obesity in Poland

Finally, we must mention the situation in Poland, and it is becoming more and more dramatic every year. Do you remember the figures from the beginning of the article? According to the study ‘National Health Test of Poles 2020’, as many as 61% of Poles have a problem with excessive body weight – 74% of men and 50% of women. Obesity itself affects 28% of Poles and 21% of Polish women.

Only 27% of our population has ever been on a slimming diet, and in this group the percentage of women is significantly higher than that of men. Only 22% of Poles eat balanced meals in accordance with the food pyramid.

The entire report, which contains a wealth of important information, is available for download at this link: https://narodowytestzdrowia.medonet.pl/

Poland needs a strategy and a comprehensive plan, although the first step in the fight against obesity may be the recently introduced sugar tax. Such a tax is already in operation in several countries, including the United States, where it has helped to reduce sales of sweetened drinks by up to 80%.

In Poland, only high-sugar drinks are to be subject to sugar tax from January 2021. This is a solution which will certainly have some effect over the next dozen or so years, but it is important to remember one thing which we always come back to – we do not get fat from specific products, but from excess energy.

Anti-obesity month falls every year in October. We strongly encourage you to talk to your loved ones about the important role that a healthy, balanced diet and regular physical activity play in the quality and length of our lives.

You can control your body weight and your physical activity using the Fitatu application. More information about Fitatu can be found at: https://www.fitatu.com

Be sure to let us know in the comments what you think of our new article and don’t forget to add your ideas for fighting obesity!