Obesity in Europe - causes, costs, and consequences

Obesity (defined as a body mass index >30 kg/m2) is common in middle-aged Europeans. The prevalence is notably high in women from Mediterranean and Eastern European countries. cological comparisons show no relationship between obesity and coronary heart disease mortality in men and a weak association in women (which is stronger after adjustment for smoking). Within countries, however, increased BMI is associated with increased cardiovascular risk factors in populations across Europe. In the Netherlands the direct health care costs associated with overweight and obesity (BMI >25 kg/m2) have been calculated to be about 1 billion Dutch guilders which corresponds to about 4% of total costs of health care.