Obesity in Greece

Extent

Greece ranked 16 on a 2007 list of fattiest countries, with 65.5% of its citizens having an unhealthy weight. This may be surprising because Mediterranean countries like Greece were historically known for a healthy lifestyle. The Mediterranean diet, based partly on Greek food patterns, once consisted mainly of fish, fruit, vegetables, and wine, with limited meats, and people were fairly active. Today, European countries including Greece are moving away from this lifestyle toward a more Western way of life. Increased consumption of high-fat, high-calorie fast foods and decreased activity levels are blamed for the rise in obesity. Obesity rates in some European countries are higher than those in the United States. Obesity brings health concerns such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.