Valentina Palmisano· The Left

Nuanced

Currently 60% of the European population is estimated to be overweight or affected by obesity.

Omissions

• The 60% figure appears to combine pre-obese (overweight, BMI 25-29.9) and obese (BMI ≥ 30) categories, which is methodologically correct but requires clarification that this refers to adults aged 18+, not the total European population including children
• The claim does not specify that these statistics typically exclude children and refer to the adult population (aged 16 or 18+)
• Data used is from 2022, as more recent comprehensive EU-wide data was not yet available at the time of the March 2026 claim
• The source (Eurostat) was not cited by the MEP

Sources

• PrimaryEurostat - Overweight and obesity - BMI statisticsIn 2022, 43% of people aged 18+ were overweight (BMI 25-29.9) and 16% were obese (BMI ≥30), totaling 59% overweight or obese
• PrimaryEurostat - SDG indicator on obesity rateCategory 'overweight' (BMI ≥ 25) combines pre-obese and obese categories
• SecondaryEuropean Parliament - Obesity in the EU: an ongoing epidemicNearly 51% of EU population aged 16+ are overweight and 17% are obese
• SecondaryEUFIC - Europe's obesity statisticsIn the EU, 53% of adults are overweight