The economic cost of obese and overweight adults in Europe reaches 0.7-1.4% of GDP

By 2024, 26 percent of adults in Europe will be obese and 30 percent will be overweight. According to the report prepared for the pharmaceutical industry lobby, the Federation of European Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations, the total economic burden of high body mass index in Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Ireland, Greece, Romania and the UK corresponds to 0.7 to 1.4 percent of the countries' GDP. While the annual cost reached 55.2 billion Euros in Germany, 43.2 billion Euros in the UK, it was calculated as approximately 20 billion Euros each in Spain, Italy and France. In addition to health expenses, absenteeism from work, inability to participate in economic activity and premature deaths also increase the economic burden.