March 4: World Obesity Day: Well Over Half Bulgarians Are Overweight

Two out of three Bulgarians are obese or unhealthily overweight. By this alarming indicator, our country is ahead of both Europe and the world, show the most up-to-date WHO data for 2021, and the reason to quote it is World Obesity Day - 4 March. This means that over 61% of Bulgarians suffer from obesity. This is a chronic condition characterized with an excessive amount of body fat, which has a negative effect on health and is associated with reduced life expectancy. The share of children in Bulgaria who are overweight is 13.6%,as boys with obesity between 5 and 9 years old account for 17.1% and girls for up to 10.2% of the Bulgarian children.

The body mass index is a major indicator for diagnosing overweight and obesity, and it has risen noticeably among Bulgarians in the last year, when people remained in their homes immobilized for a long period of time. The result is visible in both employees and school students in an online environment and home office.

"From the very beginning, when people were banned from leaving their homes for walks, when communications were reduced to a minimum, it was found that people gained weight, children and adolescents also did so, against the backdrop of depression, low body tone and anxiety. These were predisposing factors to weight gain, says Prof. Donka Baikova, specialist in nutrition, dietetics and public health:

"Some people managed to overcome it quickly. They found a way to switch over to a healthier eating pattern and secondly - to find their own exercise and motor activity regimen, albeit at home.

The good news for those who gained weight in a short period of time is that their body does not accept excess kilos them as its own, and with a little more effort, they can shed them quickly. The...