Juliette Gagliardi
Junior Researcher
In 2019, the global number of deaths related to being obese was higher than the deaths for malnutrition. Indeed, obesity is one of the deadliest risk factors and one of the biggest health problems worldwide, as it increases the likelihood of developing other health conditions and lowers life expectancy. The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies an adult as overweight if they have a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 25, and obese if they have a BMI greater than or equal to 30. The body mass index (BMI) is an index that has been commonly used since the ‘70s to assess if a person has an optimal weight or if they are underweight, overweight, or obese. Although limitations of this index have been largely proven, it is still employed to predict individual health. As of 2021, in Italy, around 12 percent of the population was classified as obese, with men accounting for the highest share. The Italian regions with the highest share of people considered obese, using the BMI index, were Molise and Basilicata, with more than 15 percent.
For more information on diabetes in Italy, visit Statista's webpage exclusively dedicated to diabetes in the country, its risk factor, and regional distribution.
Treatment of eating disorders
As of 2021, there were a total of 91 facilities to treat eating disorders (including binge eating, bulimia and anorexia) operated by the National Healthcare Service across the whole Italian territory. Emilia-Romagna was the region hosting the highest number of such facilities, with 16. Across Italy, almost one thousand professionals were working in these facilities, among them 24 percent were psychologists. Child psychiatrists or neuropsychiatrists follow, with 17 percent. Overeating leading to obesity is also an issue among children, and by 2025 the prevalence of obese children in Italy is projected to reach 14.5 percent.Diabetes and obesity
Being overweight or obese is among the main risk factors for type 2 diabetes. As a matter of fact, around 12.5 percent of obese men in Italy had been diagnosed with diabetes as of 2020. In the same year, the prevalence of diabetes among obese women in Italy reached 17.3 percent. The number of people diagnosed with diabetes is expected to increase considerably worldwide and to reach 4.5 million cases in Italy by 2025.For more information on diabetes in Italy, visit Statista's webpage exclusively dedicated to diabetes in the country, its risk factor, and regional distribution.
