SPAIN’s obesity crisis is increasingly affecting younger generations, with rates among 18-24 year-olds rising by more than 40% in recent years.
New analysis linked to World Obesity Day shows that 55% of adults in Spain are overweight or obese, highlighting a growing concern among health experts that the country faces a long-term public health challenge.
Spain’s growing waistline may be worrying, but the UK’s figures remain even higher.
In England, around 64.5% of adults were overweight or living with obesity in 2023, according to data from the UK government.
Around 26.5% of people 18 or older were classified as obese, continuing a gradual upward trend over the past decade.
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That means Britain’s rate remains notably higher than Spain.
However, specialists warn that Spain faces a worrying shift among younger age groups.
Data from the HM Sanchinarro University Hospital revealed that obesity in the 18-24 age group has climbed from under 5% to 7% from 2020 to 2023.
‘It’s worrying because obesity is becoming younger,’ warned Gontrand Lopez-Nava, director of the Bariatric Endoscopy Unit.
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She added that today’s young people could face serious health complications later in life.
While overall obesity across Spain has slightly dipped from 16% to 15.2%, the bigger issue is the rise in overweight people, which increased from 37.6% to 39.8%.
Experts say this is often the precursor to full obesity.
Regional figures show stark differences across the country.
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The Canary Islands now have the highest obesity rate at 20.6%, followed closely by Murcia (20.1%) and Castilla-La Mancha (19.9%).
Elsewhere in Andalucia, the rate is 16.7%, with Valencia even lower with 14.6%. Madrid recorded the lowest level at 10.3%.
Experts have also warned about the rise in weight-loss injections such as Ozempic, Mounjaro and Zepbound, claiming that none are long-term solutions.
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‘These drugs can help in the short term, but the effects disappear when patients stop taking them,’ said Lopez-Nava, noting studies showing people regain more than half a kilo per month after stopping treatment.
Instead, specialists insist that long-term lifestyle changes, better nutrition and psychological support remain the most effective way to tackle obesity.
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