UN: Obesity Levels in Europe at ‘Epidemic Proportions’

A person eats in London on Oct. 17, 2007. (AP)
A person eats in London on Oct. 17, 2007. (AP)
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UN: Obesity Levels in Europe at ‘Epidemic Proportions’

A person eats in London on Oct. 17, 2007. (AP)
A person eats in London on Oct. 17, 2007. (AP)

The World Health Organization says the rates of people who are obese and overweight in Europe have hit "epidemic proportions," with nearly 60% of adults and a third of children in one of those categories.

In a report issued Tuesday, the UN health agency's European office said the prevalence of obesity among adults is higher across the continent than any other world region - except for the Americas.

"Alarmingly, there have been consistent increases in the prevalence of overweight and obesity in the WHO European region and no member state is on track to reach the target of halting the rise in obesity by 2025,” the report said. Among the countries it counts in its Europe region, WHO said the highest rates of obesity were seen in Turkey, Malta, Israel and Britain.

WHO said being overweight or obese is among the leading causes of death in the region and is responsible for more than 1 million deaths every year.

Scientists have long warned that being heavy significantly increases the risk of numerous diseases, including respiratory conditions, diabetes and at least 13 cancers. It is also the leading risk factor for disability.

"During the COVID-19 pandemic, we experienced the true impact of the obesity epidemic," WHO Europe director Dr. Hans Kluge wrote in the report. He noted that the obese were "more likely to experience severe outcomes of the COVID-19 disease spectrum, including intensive care unit admissions and death."

Kluge also said that COVID-19 interventions like school closures and lockdowns often raised the risk of gaining weight when people turned to unhealthy diets and were forced to be sedentary.

WHO called for countries to adopt policies to improve "environmental factors" linked to obesity, including taxing sugary drinks, restricting the marketing of unhealthy foods to children and efforts to improve physical activity.

In the US, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says about 74% of Americans over age 20 are obese or overweight.



Brazil Court Majority Favors Tougher Social Media Rules

Brazil's Supreme Court has already taken a strong stance on social media regulation. Evaristo Sa / AFP/File
Brazil's Supreme Court has already taken a strong stance on social media regulation. Evaristo Sa / AFP/File
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Brazil Court Majority Favors Tougher Social Media Rules

Brazil's Supreme Court has already taken a strong stance on social media regulation. Evaristo Sa / AFP/File
Brazil's Supreme Court has already taken a strong stance on social media regulation. Evaristo Sa / AFP/File

Brazil's Supreme Court reached a majority Wednesday in favor of toughening social media regulation, in a groundbreaking case for Latin America on the spread of fake news and hate speech.

The South American country's highest court is seeking to determine to what extent companies like X, TikTok, Instagram and Facebook are responsible for removing illegal content, and how they can be sanctioned if they do not, reported AFP.

The judges' final ruling will create a precedent that will affect tens of millions of social media users in Brazil.

At issue is a clause in the country's so-called Civil Framework for the Internet -- a law in effect since 2014 that says platforms are only responsible for harm caused by a post if they ignore a judge's order to remove it.

By Wednesday, six of the court's 11 judges had ruled in favor of higher accountability, meaning sites should monitor content and remove problematic posts on their own initiative, without judicial intervention.

One judge has voted against tougher regulation, and four have yet to express an opinion.

"We must, as a court, move in the direction of freedom with responsibility and regulated freedom, which is the only true freedom," Judge Flavio Dino said during Wednesday's session, broadcast online.

Not doing so would be like "trying to open an airline without regulation in the name of the right of free movement," he added.

Google, for its part, said in a statement that changing the rules "will not contribute to ending the circulation of unwanted content on the internet."

Coup plot

Alexandre de Moraes, one of the court's judges, has repeatedly clashed with X owner Elon Musk and various right-wing personalities over social media posts.

The review is taking place in parallel with the Supreme Court trial of far-right former president Jair Bolsonaro, who is alleged to have collaborated on a coup plot to remain in power after his 2022 election defeat.

Prosecutors say Bolsonaro's followers used social media to lie about the reliability of the electoral system and plot the downfall of successor Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Last year, Moraes blocked X for 40 days for failing to comply with a series of court orders against online disinformation.

He had previously ordered X to suspend the accounts of several Bolsonaro supporters.

Musk and other critics say Moraes is stifling free speech, and US President Donald Trump's administration is weighing sanctions against the judge, whom Bolsonaro accuses of judicial "persecution."

Lula, who emerged the victor in the tightly-fought 2022 election against Bolsonaro, is advocating for "accelerating regulation" of online platforms.