There’s some good news for the Netherlands: fewer people smoke or drink. But when it comes to weight, statistics paint a far less rosy picture.
Despite efforts to adopt healthier lifestyles, the number of overweight adults in the Netherlands has been increasing — with 50% of the Dutch now affected.
Lifestyle improvements, but weight stalls
The good news? New data from a report by CBS (the Dutch Bureau of Statistics) highlights a very welcome downward trend in the number of Dutch adults who smoke and drink.
Only 18% of Dutch adults smoke and just 6% drink too much alcohol — and, given the steady decline in smokers and binge drinkers over the past ten years, we can expect those figures to keep falling. 🙌
The bad news? CBS’ Lifestyle Monitor also highlighted an alarming trend in obesity rates, with the share of obese adults growing from 13% to 16%.
These findings come from annual self-reported height, weight, and lifestyle data used to calculate BMI (Body Mass Index) — any result over 25 is considered overweight, with those over 30 considered obese.
Let’s just say that the Dutch government’s goal to reduce this to 38% by 2040 looks increasingly unrealistic. 😬
Inequality in health
The report also reveals a deeper divide: better health is strongly correlated with having a higher income and a higher level of education.
Smoking is nearly twice as common among less-educated adults (21% vs. 13%), and 65% of low-income adults are overweight. 😟
Excessive drinking, on the other hand, appears to have no class divide.
What is especially worrying about the recent statistics, however, is that weight issues start early. The CBS Youth Monitor report shows that 14% of kids aged 4 to 17 are already overweight — a worrying sign for the future. 🚩
The bottom line? Although healthier habits are a step in the right direction, tackling obesity is key to lasting progress.
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