The Covid-19 pandemic has led to increased obesity in school-aged children in Europe, the World Health Organization said in a new report, sounding the alarm for action.
Results from 17 countries showed that boys and girls aged seven to nine spent more time looking at screens and less time playing outside, mirroring an increase in overweight children in this same age range.
WHO surveyed more than 50,000 children during 2021-23, following the start of the worldwide shutdowns in March 2020.
“The picture that this report paints is nuanced – in some countries there were positive changes, such as more families eating together, but there were also some concerning findings, including an increase in unhealthy dietary habits and sedentary time,” said Dr. Kremlin Wickramasinghe, WHO/Europe’s Regional Adviser for Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity.
The report, published Wednesday, revealed that 36 per cent of children increased their time spent watching TV, playing online games, or using social media during the weekdays, and 34 per cent increased their recreational screen time on weekends.
Other key highlights include 28 per cent of children experienced a decrease in time spent in outdoor activities during weekdays, 42 per cent reported a decline in happiness and well-being, and one in five reported feeling sad more frequently.
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