“Alarming” differences in diet, exercise and obesity levels are to found between teenagers from poorer and richer backgrounds across Europe – including Ireland – sparking an inequality epidemic, the World Health Organisation has warned.
The WHO/Europe is urging governments to tackle the problem through changes in food regulations, encouraging active travel and sport, limiting access to fast food around schools and other measures.
In a report published on Thursday, they warn “a vicious cycle of disadvantage” is exacerbated by “unhealthy eating habits, rising rates of overweight and obesity, and low levels of physical activity”.
The Irish data shows teenagers from higher-income families have more access to sport and tend to eat more healthily than those from lower-income families.
Healthy food is often unaffordable or inaccessible for lower income families, said Dr Martin Weber, team lead for Quality of Care and Programme Manager of Child and Adolescent Health at WHO/Europe.
This is “leading to a higher reliance on processed and sugary foods, which can have detrimental effects on adolescent health”, he warned
Dr Hans Henri P Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe similarly warned: “The socio-economic disparities in adolescent health behaviours contribute to a vicious cycle of disadvantage.”
The report, using data from 44 countries, shows 56% of boys and 51% of girls aged 15 do not eat fruit or vegetables daily.
In Ireland 40% of girls from a low-income background eat fruit daily compared to 51% of girls from more well-off backgrounds.
Boys are less likely to eat fruit in Ireland — 34% of those from a lower-income and 46% from more well-off groups.
Across Europe the data shows that one in four teenagers eat sweets or chocolates every day.
This is similar in Ireland where 23% of girls of any income eat chocolate daily, as do 22% of lower-income boys and 18% of boys from higher-income families.
However, girls and boys in Ireland are among the least likely to have a sugary drink every day. Some 12% of girls from lower-income families do and 2% of more well-off girls.
For boys, 7% from higher-income families have a daily sugary drink and 8% from lower-income families.
Looking at exercise, 56% of girls and 75% of boys in Ireland do vigorous physical activity outside of school three times or more weekly.
However, 55% of less well-off girls have this opportunity compared to 73% of more well-off girls. For lower-income boys the rate stands at 68% compared to 87% of wealthier boys.
The Irish National Physical Activity plan was highlighted as an example of good practice.
Obesity rates for European teenagers have risen from 21% in 2022 to 23% the report found. It shows 27% of teenage boys are overweight compared to 17% of girls.
Adolescents from less affluent families are more likely to be overweight or obese – at 27% – compared with 18% of more well-off teens.
The report uses data from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study and states Ireland did not supply sufficient data on weight for individual analysis.
