Increase in Greek child obesity linked to financial crisis
The level of obesity among children has increased significantly over the past 10 years, and has virtually doubled for girls, according to a new study which blames the problem on the negative impact of the economic crisis on healthy eating.
According to the study, carried out by the Hellenic Medical Association for Obesity (HMAO), the rate of obesity among boys aged 6 to 12 climbed to 14 percent in 2012 from 9 percent in 2003 and to 13 percent from 9 percent for girls.
The HMAO’s general secretary, Efthimios Kapantais, suggested that the development mirrored the situation in poor districts of large American cities where families rely on cheap fast food.
