Journal of Obesity & Weight Loss Therapy
Open Access

Abstract

In the last decades childhood obesity is growing progressively worldwide. According to WHO Bulgaria is on the fifth place of childhood obesity among 53 member countries in Europe. Furthermore, according to the National survey on nutrition in the population above 1-years old obesity in boys below 5 years was 7.1% in 2014 in comparison with 3.3% in the same age in 2004. There is a positive trend towards a slight decrease in obesity levels in girls below 5 years with 2.7% in 2014 compared to 5.4% in 2004. However, the data presented on October 9th 2016, the World Obesity Day, showed that in Bulgaria 230 000 school-age children are expected to be overweight or obese by 2025. Obesity puts our children health in danger. By 2025 as many as 8 000 will have impaired glucose tolerance, 2 000 will have type 2 diabetes, 18 000 will have high blood pressure, 25 000 will have first stage fatty liver disease. The reasons of these striking numbers are clear: a sedentary lifestyle and a poor nutrition. Data show that there is an increase in the consumption of sugar-containing food and beverages, in salt, very early beginning of alcohol consumption, low intake of yoghurt and fish in school-age children in Bulgaria. The European project EPHE (EPODE for the promotion of healthy equity) demonstrated that Bulgarian children between 6-9 years old consume more fruit and vegetables compared to the Netherlands, Belgium, and France. On the other hand, Bulgarian children spend approximately 26 hour weekly screen time compared to the children in the Netherlands with 14.5 hours. Since 2013 BASORD organizes annually 1-week “School for health – for children, parents and teachers” with promotion of healthy lifestyle, incl. increased physical activity and good nutrition habits. This initiative is one of the few in this field. Bulgaria doesn’t have a working state programme for prevention of childhood overweigh and obesity.

Biography

Email: svhandjiev@gmail.com