European Day against Obesity. New NFZ report - Obesity and its consequences
- By 2035, there will be 4 billion people in the world who are overweight or have an obesity-related disease.
- Projections for Poland show that in 2035, more than 35% adult men and more than 25% adult women will be obese.
- It is estimated that reimbursement for treating the consequences of obesity-related disease was at least PLN 3.8 billion in 2023.
Specialists from the National Health Fund analysed epidemiological data and data collected at the Fund. This was the basis for a report that details the consequences and costs of treating obesity-related disease from the perspective of the National Health Fund.
- Reading the NFZ report makes one reflect on how much of a systemic cost it is to treat obesity too late, or not to treat the disease at all - we focus on treating complications, both metabolic and musculoskeletal, and this generates gigantic costs for the health system - and this is a major problem. highlights Prof. Agnieszka Mastalerz-Migas, national consultant in family medicine.
The heavyweight problem
Obesity is one of the world's major public health challenges. Nearly a quarter of the population of people living in 2035 (24%) will be obese. In Poland, more than 35% adult males (aged 20 years or older) and more than 25% adult females will face obesity in the same year. Obesity among children and adolescents will also increase year on year.
According to the NFZ report, Poland saw its average BMI rise from 25.5 kg/m2 in 1996 to over 27.3 kg/m2 in 2016. The worst situation among the countries analysed was in the United States, where BMI rose from 27.1 kg/m2 in 1996 to 29.1 kg/m2 two decades later.
The body mass index (BMI) for a normal body weight is between 18.5 kg/m2 and 24.99 kg/m2. A free BMI calculator is available at diet.nfz.gov.pl: BMI calculator.
The NFZ portal, which is already used by 900,000 usersa special dietary plan is available DASH Overweight and Obesity. Changing eating habits is one of the key areas that influence the higher effectiveness of obesity disease treatment.
KOS-BAR programme
A pilot programme for the comprehensive specialised care of recipients treated for morbid obesity, KOS-BAR, has been operating in Poland since 2021. Bariatric surgery involving surgical reduction of the stomach volume is an essential part of the treatment of advanced obesity. As of 21 March 2024, 5,500 patients had participated in the programme, treated at 19 centres. Importantly, in addition to the treatment itself, KOS-BAR also offers psychological support and dietary advice. Therefore, it is a programme in which the patient is cared for by a comprehensive team of specialists.
In addition, bariatric surgery is also performed outside KOS-BAR. In 2023, 6,500 patients received this type of service.
- The data on the implementation of the KOS-BAR pilot programme, as well as the sales of drugs used for the conservative treatment of obesity, are very interesting. The increase in both the number of patients and the value of preparations sold over the period 2019-2023 is approximately twelvefold! - points out Professor Agnieszka Mastalerz-Migas.
According to the Ministry of Health's announcement, the KOS-BAR programme will continue.
Costly consequences of obesity
Doctors and nutritionists warn against neglecting obesity and overweight, particularly among children and adolescents. They stress that obesity-related disease is a cause of other health problems, e.g. cardiovascular disease (stroke, hypertension), cancer (colon, breast, prostate cancer), gallstones or type 2 diabetes.
In 2023, reimbursed medicines for the treatment of diabetes or reimbursed blood glucose strips were realised by 3.3 million people. On average, 110,000 such patients are added annually.
The NFZ report discusses precisely the selected disease entities that are a consequence of obesity. It is estimated that the consequences of obesity-related disease such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidaemia, knee degeneration requiring endoprosthesis, sleep apnoea and hepatic steatosis cost the NFZ PLN 3.8 billion.
The results of the report can be found in Healthy Data
The new NFZ report is now available at the Healthy Data portal.
DOWNLOAD THE REPORT: NFZ on health. Obesity and its consequences. - ezdrowie.gov.pl
The Healthy Data Portal was established in 2019. The information we collect in it is divided into four sections:
- Reports: are cyclical or occasional studies that deal with selected diseases or hospitalisations and the activities of the PCP. The basis for the preparation of reports is the data collected by the NFZ
- Compilations: publication of data commissioned by other institutions
- Monitoring: publications that show how changes in, for example, the funding of benefits affect the delivery of those benefits
- Facility comparison: this is data that tells you how specific diseases are treated in specific medical facilities.