Obesity Management and the Achievement of Sustainable Development Goals in Greece

Abstract

Overweight and obesity consists of a severe global pandemic having harmful and undesired health, social and economic impacts. Obesity management is not included in the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals of UN which should be achieved by 2030 according to the international agreement signed in the global summit for climate change in 2015 in Paris. The problem of obesity is severe in Greece where many children and adults are overweight and obese. The achievement of SDGs in Greece has been monitored indicating that, in 2022, their achievement was not satisfactory and more efforts are required to reach in the desired targets by 2030. Many international studies have indicated that obesity treatment is indirectly related with the achievement of several UN SDGs. Other studies in various countries have indicated that education is negatively related with obesity while education is one available tool for fighting the harmful pandemic. Similar studies in Greece are limited while appropriate policies focusing simultaneously in obesity reduction and in the achievement of the UN SDGs are lacking. The development of new policies in Greece targeting jointly in obesity reduction and the achievement of the SDGs could be useful having many health, social, economic and environmental benefits. The development of educational material for treating overweight and obesity could contribute in the mitigation of the obesity pandemic in Greece.