This week, Switzerland’s federal parliament rejected two cantonal initiatives to cut sugar consumption, reported RTS. On 27 February 2023, Switzerland’s parliament rejected plans to restrict the sugar content of processed foods and drinks and to require clearer labelling showing the amount of sugar. The proposals were put forward by the cantons of Geneva and Fribourg. […]
Coca-Cola and Rivella to cut sugar in Swiss drinks
Excessive sugar consumption continues to drive high rates chronic disease across the world. Switzerland is no exception. Pressure from the government and health sector yielded some progress on reducing the problem this week, reported RTS. Nine sugary drink makers, including Coca-Cola, Rivella and Ramseier signed an agreement to cut the sugar content of the products […]
Geneva hospital opens centre to tackle obesity in Switzerland
Next week, Geneva’s HUG hospital will open a centre focused on adult and child obesity, reported RTS. According to the hospital, people with obesity suffer from a diverse range of illnesses and the new centre aims to bring together treatments for the panopoly of illnesses related to the condition. While obesity is problem that is […]
Swiss gain weight rapidly during Covid-19 pandemic
Like most of the world, Switzerland has an obesity problem. From 1992 to 2017, obesity in Switzerland rose from 5% to 11% of the population. In addition, a further 31% of the population was considered overweight, bringing the total with a weight problem to 42% of the population. The Covid-19 pandemic has added to the […]
Swiss study links youth obesity to body image misperceptions
A recently published Swiss study finds misperceptions of body image among young people that are associated with being overweight or obese. The study, which takes data on nearly 14,000 school children in Bern, Basel and Zurich, found that the percentage of children aged 12-15 suffering from excess weight and obesity was broadly stable over the […]
Swiss lose interest in healthy eating and exercise
A recent poll conducted by GFS.bern suggests Swiss are becoming less interested in nutrition and exercise. While a majority (77%) still say they are fairly or very interested in nutrition and exercise, the percentage saying they were very interested fell from 41% in 2014 to 27% in 2020. Over the same period, the percentage saying […]
Obesity remains a significant health issue in Switzerland
The number of people in Switzerland suffering from obesity has doubled over 25 years, according to a recent study published by the Federal Statistical Office. In 1992, 5% of Switzerland’s population was classified as obese. By 2017, the percentage had risen to 11%. In recent years the rate has stabilised. Zoltan Pataky, an obesity specialist […]
Obesity to cut nearly 2 years off Swiss life expectancy
Between 2020 and 2050 obesity is forecast to reduce life expectancy by 2.7 years across the OECD, according to a recently published OECD report. In Switzerland obesity is forecast to shave almost 2 years (1.93) off life expectancy between 2020 and 2050, according to OECD calculations. Its expected impact on Swiss healthy life expectancy (HALE) […]
Question of the week: why are so many more men than women obese or overweight?
In Switzerland, like much of the world, far more men than women are overweight or obese. In Switzerland more than twice as many men (42%) as women (20%) are overweight or obese. 62% of men in Switzerland between the ages of 50 to 64 are obese or overweight. The same figure for women is 40%, […]
World Obesity Day – how Switzerland measures up
11 October 2017 is World Obesity Day. According to the World Obesity Foundation, 2.7 billion adults worldwide will suffer from being overweight or obese by 2025. Including obese and overweight children pushes the number even higher. A study published in 2016 by Switzerland’s Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO) found that 43% of Switzerland’s population was […]
