Nearly four in 10 Greek seven-year-olds carry excess weight, WHO figures show

New WHO surveillance data places Greece well above the European average, as paediatricians warn that obesity-related health problems can begin during childhood.

Childhood obesity in Greece remains a major public-health concern, with new World Health Organisation figures showing that about 37% of seven-year-olds were carrying excess weight or were obese in 2022-24, including about 18% who were obese. Across the countries taking part in the European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative, the comparable figures for children aged seven to nine were 25% and 11%, underlining how sharply Greece stands out in the region. The WHO says the surveillance project, known as COSI, collected data from roughly 470,000 children in 37 countries in its sixth round. According to the organisation, the initiative has been running since 2007 to track weight, height, diet and physical activity among primary-school children.

Greek paediatricians say the figures point to a problem that begins early and can have consequences long before adulthood. The Attica Association of Private Paediatricians warned that childhood and adolescent obesity is a chronic, multifactorial disease, meaning it is shaped by several influences rather than by a single cause. The group said health effects can appear during school years, and that the condition should be identified early and managed in a way that is tailored to each child, with long-term follow-up and close family involvement. That message echoes the WHO’s latest guidance, published on 7 October, which stresses that early recognition and sustained care matter.

The association also highlighted a series of complications that may develop without obvious warning signs. These include pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and abnormal blood fats, fatty liver disease, sleep apnoea, musculoskeletal pain and orthopaedic problems, as well as menstrual irregularities and polycystic ovary syndrome in adolescent girls. It said the risks are not inevitable for every child, but they are serious enough to justify clinical assessment and continued monitoring. In the longer term, the group noted, excess weight is linked to a greater chance of cardiovascular disease and several cancers in adult life.

The concern is reinforced by other recent data. A 2024 survey of parents presented by Greece’s health ministry and UNICEF found that only 20.6% of teenagers aged 15 to 17 exercised daily for at least an hour, while non-school screen time averaged three hours a day. Earlier HBSC research from the University Mental Health Research Institute found that 22.2% of students aged 11, 13 and 15 were classified as overweight or obese in 2022, up from 19% in 2018, though the estimate was based on self-reported height and weight. The OECD has also reported that more than one in four 15-year-olds in Greece were overweight or obese in 2022, a higher share than in most EU countries.

Paediatricians say treatment has to begin with practical, family-wide changes rather than blame. They point to water instead of sugary drinks, regular meals, varied nutritious food, shared meals without screens and enough sleep as core steps. The WHO recommends that children aged five to 17 average at least 60 minutes a day of moderate to vigorous physical activity across the week, whether through walking, cycling, dancing or active play. In more severe cases, the association said medication may be appropriate under approved indications and with close medical supervision, while some patients may need assessment for surgery by a specialist team. Greece’s health ministry and UNICEF launched a national action plan on childhood obesity in 2023 to 2025, aimed at prevention and at reducing the social inequalities that help drive the problem.