Italy Recognizes Obesity as Chronic Disease as 40% of Children in Parts of Campania Are Overweight
Updated
Updated · bbc.co.uk · Jul 25
Italy Recognizes Obesity as Chronic Disease as 40% of Children in Parts of Campania Are Overweight
1 articles · Updated · bbc.co.uk · Jul 25
Summary
Italy in 2025 became the first country to legally classify obesity as a chronic, progressive and relapsing disease, shifting treatment beyond personal choice to biological, environmental and social factors.
More than 40% of eight- and nine-year-olds are overweight in parts of Campania, where doctors say severe obesity is appearing in teenagers and even toddlers as traditional diets give way to processed foods and sugary drinks.
Clinics around Naples are seeing rising demand for bariatric surgery and GLP-1 drugs; one 17-year-old patient at 170kg was denied surgery for now because the operation was judged too dangerous.
Schools and regional programs are trying to intervene earlier, with nutrition workshops set to reach more than 17,000 students across 25 schools and families receiving support to change eating habits at home.
Campania is also testing a controversial fast-mimicking diet in 300 overweight adolescents, highlighting a broader debate over how Italy should tackle a childhood obesity surge in a country once defined by the Mediterranean diet.