Eurostat: 56.5% of Albanians over 16 years old are considered overweight

The percentage of people aged 16 and over who were considered overweight (pre-obese and obese) in 2022 was 50.6% in the European Union, according to data recently updated by Eurostat.

The figures also include Albania, where according to Eurostat 56.5% of Albanians over the age of 16 are considered overweight. At these levels, Albania ranks 11th and is considered one of the countries with the highest obesity rates in Europe, being colored blue on the map.

The fattest in Europe are the Maltese, with 62% of them considered overweight. They are followed by Finland (59.5), Latvia (59.2), Romania (58.9), Lithuania (58.5), Poland (57.8), Hungary (57.5), Slovakia (57.5), Croatia (57.2), Turkey (57.1) and then Albania (56.5).

The most elegant in Europe are the Italians, who also have the lowest obesity rate, at 41.3%, followed by the Swiss (45.2%) and the French (45.4%).

In the region, Montenegro leads the way in terms of elegance, with one of the lowest indicators in Europe (47%). For Serbia, this indicator is 51.8%, while data for other countries in the region is lacking. North Macedonia had this indicator of 55 in 2017.

Albanian men healthier than women

Albanian women seem to be much more careful than men. According to Eurostat, 62.3% of Albanian men over 16 are considered overweight, among the highest in Europe. The fattest men are in Malta and Slovakia (69.4%) and the slimmest in France (51.5).

Half of Albanian women (50.9%) are considered overweight, according to Eurostat data.

The most elegant in Europe are Italians (31.3%) and Montenegrins (34.6%).

The healthiest women are in Latvia (56.7%) and Turkey (55.2%).

Eurostat measures obesity based on the BM indicator (Body mass index), which is a convenient rule used to broadly categorize a person based on tissue mass (muscle, fat and bone) and height.

The indicator measures the percentage of people who are obese based on their body mass index (BMI). People aged 18 and over are considered obese with a BMI equal to or greater than 30.

The other categories are: underweight (BMI less than 18.5), normal weight (BMI between 18.5 and less than 25), and pre-obese (BMI between 25 and less than 30). The overweight category (BMI equal to or greater than 25) combines the two categories pre-obese and obese.