Half of Europe's adults overweight

LONDON - MORE than half of adults in European Union are overweight or obese, piling pressure onto their own health, their nations' health systems and the wider economy, the OECD and the EU Commission said on Tuesday.

In a report on health in the 27-member bloc, the Paris-based Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the Brussels-based Commission said the rate of obesity has more than doubled over the past 20 years in most member states.

It also found that one in seven EU children is overweight or obese, and said the figures are set to rise even further.

Overweight people have a body mass index (BMI) of between 25 and 30 and obese people have a BMI of 30 or more, according to the World Health Organisation. BMI is calculated by dividing weight in kilograms by height in metres squared.

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