Obesity, Italy first in the world to approve a law that recognizes it as a disease

The Italian Chamber of Deputies is preparing to approve a law that will officially recognize obesity as one chronic disease, defined as “progressive and recurring”. This bill in six articles, baptized “provisions for the prevention and care of obesity” and promoted by Roberto Pella, group leader of Forza Italia in the Budget Committee in the Chamber, represents a fundamental turning point for the Italian health service, since he aims Include obesity in the essential levels of assistance (Lea)thus ensuring access to specific care for patients with this pathology – by drugs, including those of recent introduction such as those based on traffic lights or tirzepatide – up to bariatric surgery and coverage of investigations and connected performance.

According to the data of the Istituto Superiore di Sanità, In Italy 33% of the adult population is overweightWhile 10% suffer from obesity. Among these, Over a million people are affected by pathological obesitya condition that significantly increases the risk of developing chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, arterial hypertension, different cardiovascular pathologies and some forms of cancer. The socio-economic consequences of obesity are enormous: according to the World Health Organization, the direct and indirect costs related to obesity in Italy exceed i 9 billion euros per year. Other estimates even speak of 13 billion.

On a global scale we are witnessing, as we had previously seen, to a real one “epidemic”. I am in fact 800 million People in the world coexisting with theobesity. According to the estimates they will touch the impressive threshold of 1.9 billion in 2035that is, one in four person, with an estimated economic impact of 4.32 trillions overall on the planet due to overweight and obesity. The trend obviously does not spare i children: The estimated increase in obesity for those born from 2020 to 2035 is of an impressive 100%. According to Istat about 19% of 8-9 years of age children are overweight and 9.8% are suffering from obesity, with very deep territorial imbalances and which penalize the South.

Last December the Italian government established a specific fund for the prevention and care of obesitywith an initial equipment of about 3 million euros distributed over three years. It is a first, shy step to support early diagnosis, the multidisciplinary management of the disease and the awareness of the population on the risks associated with obesity.

The main scientific societies, including the Federation of Italian diabetological societies and the Italian company of obesity, they have naturally accepted this legislative initiative, underlining the need to insert obesity in the Lea and to implement a national chronicity plan that provides Specific diagnostic-therapeutic paths for obese patients.

Another crucial aspect of the bill as approved concerns prevention, with the aim of promoting a healthy lifestyle from a young age. Among the measures proposed in the six articles of the provision is, for example, the introduction of food education in school programs and the relaunch of the Mediterranean diet as a nutritional model of reference. In addition, the proposal of a greater regulation of advertising of non -healthy foods intended for children.

If approved, this law would constitute a turning point in the fight against obesity in Italy, placing our country among European pioneers in the recognition of this pathology as a health priority. At least on paper, because as the chronicles show really ensuring the right to health for everyone is becoming an increasingly hard business for the national health service with very long waiting lists also for emergencies. The goal is to develop effective strategies to reduce the incidence of obesity, improve public health and reduce long -term related healthcare costs.