Life styles of children and adolescents

Obesity among children and young people is a worldwide phenomenon: the World Health Organization estimated over 340 million overweight or obese1 children and adolescents aged 5-19.

In EU countries, between 7 and 8 years2 almost one child out of eight was obese on average. Cyprus (20%), Italy (18%), Spain (18%), Greece and Malta (17%) showed the highest values; Denmark (5%), Norway (6%) and Ireland (7%) the lowest ones.

In the period 2017-2018, around 2 million and 130 thousand children and adolescents were overweight or obese (25.2% of the population aged 3-17; 28.5% in 2010-2011), with a gender gap against males (27.8% and 22.4% respectively).

The overweight / obesity among children and adolescents increased significantly from North to South (18.8% North-west, 22.5% North-east, 24.2% Center, 29.9% Islands and 32.7% South), with particularly high percentages recorded in Campania (35.4%), Calabria (33.8%), Sicily (32.5%) and Molise (31.8%)

In 2017-2018 5 million 30 thousand children aged 3-17 did not practice sport in their free time (59.4%), 52.5% practiced sport continuously and 6.9% occasionally.

In the period 2016-2017, 74.2% of children and adolescents consumed fruit and / or vegetables every day, but only 12.6% consumed 4 or more portions (11.4% in 2010-2011).

Socio-cultural characteristics of the family environment was evident on dietary habits: the higher the educational level achieved by parents, the more accurate the nutritional aspect of children in terms of both daily fruit and vegetable consumption and adequacy in quantities consumed daily.

For information

Emanuela Bologna
e-mail bologna@istat.it
Ph. +39 06 4673.7422

Laura Iannucci
e-mail iannucci@istat.it
Ph. +39 06 4673.7213