WHO is concerned about an “epidemic” of obesity in Europe

With 140 kg for 1.72 m, Bernard Meyrignac suffers from massive obesity. He will spend the week in the specialized obesity center at the Pitié-Salpêtrière hospital in Paris. “We are often shown as culprits, people who do not pay attention to themselves, who spend their time not moving, eating, when very often it is the opposite”says the patient.

Bernard Meyrignac will be supported by a team, and will benefit from consultations with the psychologist or workshops around nutrition. “We are moving towards a goal of 20 kg in 18 months”, he says. French hospitals have developed a network of specialized obesity centers in the face of a growing epidemic. In France, 21.6% of adults are obese. In addition, 10.4% of children aged 5 to 9 are obese, and 6.9% of adolescents are. In Europe, this excess weight affected less than 10% of adults in 1975 to more than 23.3% today. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), overweight and obesity are the cause of at least 1.2 million deaths each year in Europe.