The strategy on obesity that the Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Department is drafting is aimed at enhancing an enabling environment for the prevention and management of obesity, the director of the department, Charmaine Gauci, told this newspaper.
According to the 2008 European Health Interview survey, 36.3 per cent of Maltese adults are overweight and another 22.3 per cent are obese.
But there is also a problem among children, and not only in Malta. Childhood obesity is one of the most serious global public health challenges of the 21st century.
Globally, the number of overweight children under the age of five is estimated to be more than 42 million.
Dr Gauci said: “We know from the 2006 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) survey that 15 per cent of Maltese 13-year-olds are obese. Another international study shows that 35 per cent of children in the ‘7 to 11’ age group in Malta are overweight or obese”.
Dealing with obesity is therefore one of the Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Department’s main priorities.
“Our campaigns are aimed at encouraging people to eat more healthy portions, choose healthier food, get involved in food preparation and take up more physical activity,” said Dr Gauci.
The department’s message on the subject was communicated via various media, including television, radio, newspapers, magazines and leaflets, Facebook, talks and activities.
Staff from the department were present at this year’s trade fair at Ta’ Qali, where people were offered body mass index (BMI) tests and advice on healthy eating and physical activity.
Dr Gauci said the main aim of the campaign is to enhance awareness and knowledge in a way that could lead to behavioural change.
The department has also started adopting individual risk behaviour approaches by means of which, for instance, people having a BMI of 25 or more are invited to join weight management classes, which are held in the evening at health centres. Aerobics sessions are also held at local council buildings. All sessions are free of charge.
Anyone who would like to avail themselves of these services or ask for advice can call on 2326-6000.
Dr Gauci said the department is working with the education sector in a bid to enhance the campaigns in schools.
Asked how childhood obesity is tackled, Dr Gauci said the department seeks to support both obese children and their parents by making them aware of the possible consequences of obesity and offering the tools for effective change.
Overweight and obese children are more likely to stay obese into adulthood and to develop non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like diabetes and cardiovascular diseases at a younger age.
Childhood obesity is associated with a higher chance of premature death and disability in adulthood.
For most NCDs resulting from obesity, the risks depend partly on the age of onset and on the duration of obesity. Obese children and adolescents suffer from both short-term and long-term health consequences.
The most significant health consequences of childhood overweight and obesity, that often do not become apparent until adulthood, include cardiovascular diseases (mainly heart disease and stroke), diabetes, musculoskeletal disorders, especially osteoarthritis, and certain types of cancer (endometrial, breast and colon).
Data from 2005 shows the long-term consequences of an unhealthy lifestyle: at least 2.6 million people each year die as a result of being overweight or obese.
The strategy on obesity that is expected to be published for consultation later this year is being based upon the proposals of an intersectoral committee that was specially set up.
Dr Gauci explained: “We are basing the strategy on scientific evidence obtained from various international and local studies.
“Apart from continuous efforts to increase awareness on the importance of following a healthy diet and physical activity, the aim is to enhance an enabling environment for the prevention of obesity, for people to maintain a healthy weight and for people who are overweight and obese to lose weight in a healthy manner.
“Tackling obesity needs the input of every sector. We will need to train health care workers to help persons in the prevention and management of obesity.”
The strategy is expected to look into ways of enhancing the current services of the Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Department, and is expected to be published for consultation by the end of the year.
The most commonly used measure for overweight and obesity is the body mass index (BMI) – a simple index to classify overweight and obesity in adult populations and individuals.
It is defined as the weight in kilogrammes divided by the square of the height in metres. The BMI is the same for both sexes and for all ages of adults.
However, it should be considered as a rough guide because it may not correspond to the same body fat percentage in different individuals. This BMI-chart is not yet usable for children.
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