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WHO report Poor smoking, alcohol and eating Europeans are dying sooner than their parents?
Europeans drink more on average than other people, they smoke a lot and are very fat in comparison. The World Health Organization (WHO) comes to this conclusion on the basis of new surveys. In other areas, however, the report shows "encouraging progress".
Alcohol and tobacco consumption would have to be reduced more
Just a few months ago, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned that Europeans are getting fatter. Obesity, alcohol and tobacco consumption are threatening Europe's progress in life expectancy, according to a recent WHO report. According to news agency AFP, WHO representative Claudia Stein said on Wednesday in London, "If rates of smoking and alcohol use and obesity do not go down, we could jeopardize the gains in life expectancy - meaning the next generation could lead to shorter lives than we do. "The WHO examined the countries of the EU as well as former Soviet republics for its 2015 European Health Report. Overall, the WHO European Region comprises 53 states.
Unhealthy life in the EU. Image: kwanchaichaiudom - fotolia Europeans are drinking world champions
Already in recent years it has been pointed out that Europeans are world champions in alcohol consumption. This has changed little. "Europeans drink and smoke more than anyone else," says Stein. "We are world champions - and this is not a good record." In other regions, the corresponding dangers have been contained, in Europe, however, the extent of obesity (obesity) and tobacco and alcohol consumption remains "alarmingly high", even if the proportion of Smokers and alcohol consumers in many parts of Europe go back. However, the fact that the situation in the individual nations is very different, showed a message from July. At that time, the WHO reported that Turkmenistan - the Central Asian Republic is part of the WHO European Region - has the lowest proportion of smokers worldwide.
Further reduce premature deaths
The countries of the European Region have set themselves the goal of reducing premature deaths from cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases by 1.5 percent annually by 2020. This goal is almost reached, according to the WHO report. And infant mortality is now at its lowest level. "The report shows encouraging progress," said Zsuzsanna Jakab, director of WHO Europe, according to a news agency dpa. But these could be wiped out if the high alcohol and tobacco consumption remains at the current level. "This is especially relevant for young people who may not live as long as we are their grandparents."
Only Americans are even fatter
According to the surveys, almost 60 percent of Europeans are overweight or even obese. They are just behind the US, which has the highest overweight rate worldwide. 30 percent of people in Europe smoke. And the consumption of pure alcohol per capita is said to be around eleven liters a year. On the positive side, the mortality rate due to external causes and injuries has been decreasing since 2002. The reasons for this are strategies for more traffic safety and higher safety standards. On the negative side, the average suicide rate in the European region is higher than in the other WHO regions. (Ad)