According to experts, every seventh child in Poland is overweight, and Polish teenagers gain weight the fastest in Europe. Overweight and obesity affects approximately 23 pct of children under three years of age, over 40 pct of those in early school age, and nearly 26 pct of adolescents under the age of 15.

“Research shows that children in Poland are not as obese as their peers in the United States or in some countries in Europe, but the process of gaining weight is the fastest in Poland,” Marta Żbikowska-Cieśla from the Wielkopolskie branch of the National Health Fund (NFZ) said in an interview with TVP3 Poznań.

This process was significantly accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, during which children had limited physical activity. The cause of overweight and obesity in children and adolescents is also bad eating habits, mainly eating too many sugar-containing products.

In order to prevent overweight and obesity not only among children and adolescents, the National Health Fund has created a special website diety.nfz.gov.pl, where, among other things, diets for people with diabetes can be found.

Doctors urge not to underestimate excess weight in children. It can lead to, among others, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, hormonal disorders, and even degenerative changes in the osteoarticular system.