43% of Italian adults have weight issues - report

Some 43% of Italian adults have weight issues, including 33% overweight and 10% obese, the Higher Health Institute (ISS) said in a a report for World Obesity Day Monday, Azernews reports, citing ANSA.

Women are "particularly vulnerable" to the negative effects of obesity, a chronic and complex condition that can affect reproductive health and the outcome of pregnancies, as well as increasing the risk of breast cancer and cardiovascular disease, the report said.

"Personalised approaches and lifestyle modifications remain key in treating obesity," said Anna Tagliabue, president of the Italian Society of Human Nutrition (SINU).

"A correct diet must be varied, frugal, with the consumption of foods in their natural form and the least processed possible, which must be consumed slowly and with awareness.

"Obesity is associated with numerous chronic pathologies and requires a holistic approach that considers various factors and their overall impact on the health and wellbeing of the persons affected".