WHO warns Italy of growing obesity

(ANSA) - Rome, September 23 - Italians got a clean bill of health in the World Health Organization's (WHO) three-year report on the state of health in the European region, but were warned about a growing obesity problem in the country, especially in children, as well as a drop in vaccination rates.
    The report also said that Italians' satisfaction with their health is below the European average.
    "If you look at the general picture, Italy is doing very well, but there are some exceptions," said Claudia Stein, information division director for WHO Europe.
    "The Italian situation is very interesting. You have a very high life expectancy, and a very low alcohol consumption rate, that up until a few years ago was the highest. At the same time, however, the obesity rate continues to increase, and for some preventable diseases the vaccination rate is lower than that of eastern Europe".
    Italy is under the average for both the European Union and the entire continent for mortality rates in the four principal non-infectious diseases, and is prone, for example, to alcohol consumption, around six litres per person annually.
    The overweight rate, however, at close to 60%, puts it among the top countries in this category.
    In other areas where Italy does well, the report cites a below-average rate for both hospitalisation and healthcare costs, although the percentage of healthcare costs borne by private citizens, at 15%, is near the "critical" rate.
    Despite the generally encouraging figures for Italy, Stein said that Italians' satisfaction with their health is below the European Union average.
    "This is a measure that we've been studying only recently, and it's very difficult to render it objective," she said.
    "There are cultural factors that influence individual perception of health. Italy isn't the only country. In Denmark, for example, life expectancy is high, but satisfaction with health is below average".