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 […]
Switzerland scores well in exercise obesity study
Researchers at Stanford University gathered smartphone data on 68 million days of physical activity from 717,527 individuals around the world. Accelerometry features automatically detected and counted their steps. The study, focused on 46 countries and designed to gain insight into exercise levels and their relationship to obesity, combined daily step information with obesity metrics. An average Swiss […]
Swiss eat poorly and excessively, according to government survey
A recent study by Switzerland’s Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO) found that 43% of Switzerland’s population was overweight or obese. Of these 30% were overweight and 13% obese. This rate of obesity was the same as the global average in a 2014 study. The research, which used the Body Mass Index (BMI) to measure levels of obesity […]
Swiss kids are eating too much of the wrong stuff
24 Heures. A recently released study shows how badly Swiss children are eating. Only 10% of those between 11 and 15 eat fruit and vegetables several times a day. And while fruit and vegetables are not popular, the survey carried out by Swiss Addiction, shows that sweet foods are. Close to one third of children […]
