ZAGREB, March 19, 2018 - As many as three out of five Croats have overweight problems, and what is worrying is that obesity is on the rise among children, the head of the Croatian Obesity Society Davor Štimac said at a conference in Zagreb on Monday.
"The main cause of overweight and obesity is the modern way of life that is different from what it was 30 years ago. Obesity is associated with excessive food intake and reduced physical activity, as a result of which there are more and more people with obesity-related problems," Štimac said.
Many health problems, including diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular and joint diseases, as well as malignant diseases are related to obesity, and treating diabetes costs the national healthcare system four billion kuna annually.
"Fat people cost the public healthcare system more. The more overweight you are, the more risks there are of developing illnesses," Štimac said.
According to data from 2015, 34.9 percent of Croatian children were considered overweight, 15% more than 15 years before.
