Obesity Burden Costs Greece Over €3 Billion Annually, Study Shows
A new study finds that excess weight costs Greece €3.4 billion each year, about €328 per person, with most of the expense tied to healthcare.
A recent analysis by the Office of Health Economics, funded by the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations, estimates that Greece spends €3.4 billion each year on the health and economic impacts of obesity, or €328 per citizen. Direct healthcare expenditures, which represent about 68 % of the total, are dominated by treatment for type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular conditions and musculoskeletal problems.
Indirect costs, including work absenteeism and lower productivity, make up the remaining €1.1 billion, with work-related losses alone accounting for €300 million. Compared with other European nations studied, Greece’s per-capita burden sits between the higher costs seen in Germany and Britain and the lower figures in Romania. The report highlights that excess weight is linked to over 200 diseases and contributes to 278 000 deaths across the eight countries examined. It urges a unified European response, recommending that obesity be formally classified as a chronic disease and that prevention, treatment and stigma reduction be prioritized.
Why it matters
Obesity’s high economic and health toll strains Greece’s budget and highlights the need for stronger public-health measures.
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