Every third child in Poland is overweight, and the rate of obesity growth among young people is one of the highest in Europe – warns Dr. Małgorzata Gałązka-Sobotka in an interview for NewsMed.pl.
In the conversation, Dr. Gałązka-Sobotka points out that although genetics play some role, the main culprit is the child’s environment: highly processed food, advertising, lack of physical activity, and poor eating habits.
We live in an “obesogenic environment” – one that promotes excess weight from an early age.
In shops and on the streets, children are bombarded with advertisements for sweets, sugary drinks, and fast food.
Physical activity has decreased, and most children lead increasingly sedentary lives.
The author of the interview notes that preventive measures are insufficient – and that Poland is among the countries spending the least on health education within the OECD.
The conversation ends with practical recommendations: physical activity, cooking together as a family, limiting screen time before bed, and mindfulness in food choices – all to help reverse this troubling trend.
To better understand why childhood obesity in Poland is rising so rapidly and what actions can help counter it – the full interview is well worth reading.