Obesity at ‘epidemic proportions’ across Europe, says WHO

Health body issues stark warning as report finds disease is causing 200,000 cancer cases a year in region

Obesity has reached epidemic proportions" in Europe, the World Health Organization has said, as a major report shows the disease is causing 200,000 cancer cases and 1.2 million deaths a year.

In the first such study for 15 years, the WHO said rates of overweight and obesity had hit deadly levels and were still escalating". No country in the region was on track to meet the WHO global noncommunicable disease (NCD) target of halting the rise of obesity by 2025, it said.