The study by the Polish Economic Institute (PIE) think tank said nearly 65 percent of Polish adults are now affected by excess weight or obesity.
The Warsaw-based think tank warned that obesity and overweight are not only public health issues but also a growing burden on the global economy.
The study, which covers data from 161 countries, estimated that in 2019 the global economic costs of obesity and overweight accounted for 2.19 percent of world GDP, with the United States responsible for nearly 38 percent of that total.
If current trends continue, the report said, the global share of obesity-related costs will rise to 3.29 percent of GDP by 2060.
In the European Union, those costs are projected to increase from 2.16 percent of GDP in 2019 to 3.02 percent in 2060.
In Poland, they are expected to climb from 2.58 percent to 4.86 percent, placing the country second among EU member states—behind only Bulgaria, where the figure could reach 7.08 percent.
The steepest increases are expected in low- and middle-income countries, where the costs of treating obesity-related complications could rise up to 25-fold.
PIE attributed this trend to rapid socioeconomic changes such as urbanization, a shift toward sedentary, office-based work and declining physical activity levels.
Diets high in calories, fats, sugars and salt—but low in essential nutrients—also contribute to the problem, the report said.
PIE suggested that one possible solution is taxing products high in fat, sugar, and salt.
Such taxes are already in place in 12 EU countries, and the European Commission is considering harmonizing these measures across the bloc, the report said.
(gs)
Source: PAP