COLLECTION OF ARTICLES ABOUT EATING HABITS IN ESTONIA

Transcription

1 COLLECTION OF ARTICLES ABOUT EATING HABITS IN ESTONIA 2012

2 Eating Disorders in 7.7% of Estonian Women Published: :27 As the first study of its kind in Estonia, a fresh doctor's dissertation at the University of Tartu studied eating disorder trends in the nation. Kirsti Akermann's research found that 7.7 percent of women and 1 percent of men in Estonia have eating disorders, wrote Eesti Päevaleht. The number of overweight adult Estonians decreased in the 1990s; however, it began rising in the 2000s. In 2008, 56 percent of men and 45 percent of women were overweight, according to the Institute for Health Development. The share of overwieght schoolchildren increased from 6.1 percent in 2008 to 9.6 in Experts equate eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia and overeating with other addictions. Likewise, many people do not look for help to overcome the problems.

3 Estonia: Europe's Slimmest Women, Study Finds (4) Published: :14 Last year, the lowest average body mass index in Europe was that of Estonian women, a study by the World Health Organization revealed. Estonian men are also below the European average, with their BMI at 25.1, reported Postimees. Greece had the most overweight men with a BMI of 28, while Malta had the highest average for women Despite data that seem to indicate a more fit society, Estonians still need to get on the treadmill more often - at least according to Minister of Social Affairs Hanno Pevkur. During a press conference on July 21, Pevkur said the problem of obesity in Estonia is getting worse: overweight people accounted for 32 percent of the nation's population in 2010, giving rise to accompanying worries, such as high cholesterol and heart disease.

4 Estonia in EU's Top 3 for Share of Overweight Women (5) Published: :52 Estonia is currently placing third in the EU for the proportion of obese women, according to a recent study conducted by Eurostat in 19 member states. Obesity was defined as the Body Mass Index (BMI) of the person exceeding 30. This study somewhat counterbalances the image proposed in a 2010 report by the World Health Organization which, measuring the whole population's average BMI by country, found Estonian women to be Europe's slimmest. The highest share of obese women - 24 percent - was recorded in the UK. Latvia and Malta shared the second place with 21 percent, while Estonia was third with 20.5 percent. The lowest percentage of obese women was found in Romania (8 percent) and Italy (9 percent). In Estonia obesity is a much more common problem among the female population. The share of overweight men in Estonia is significantly lower - 16 percent, which puts them in the 11th place in the EU. According to the study, obesity occurred more often among women with a less advanced education level, while in men overweight was more of a problem among those having a higher education.

5 Estonia Increasingly Becoming an Overweight Nation Published: :42 Photo: PA Wire/Scanpix While most indicators for the nation's health are improving - including overall life expectancy - the problem of obesity is getting worse, said Minister of Social Affairs Hanno Pevkur, presenting his health development plan at a press conference on July 21. Overweight people accounted for 32 percent of the nation's population in 2010, giving rise to accompanying worries, such as high cholestrol and heart disease, the minister said. Calling the development a "bad trend," Pevkur said: "Everyone should play a part to improve their behavioral and physical activities and other habits." On a positive note, alcohol consumption has declined: during the 2008 peak, the country consumed 12.6 liters of pure alcohol per person per year; in 2010, the stat fell to 9.7 liters. The number of HIV infections also dropped last year by 10 percent. But the virus continues to be a problem, mainly in northeastern Estonia and the capital. Those two areas account for, respectively, 45 and 44 percent of nation's total HIV cases. The state aims to lower the count to 20 cases per 100,000 people as a national average, compared to the current 100 cases per 100,000 in the before-mentioned hot spots.

6 Obesity Above EU Average Published: :16 Estonia is above the EU average for obesity, according to a new report from the OECD and the European Commission. A total of 18 percent of the adult population was obese, up five percentage points from just six years ago. The study, which revealed overweight problems in the EU had doubled in the last 20 years, showed that Estonia ranked ninth in obesity. The worst countries for obesity were Great Britain, Ireland and Malta; more than 20 percent of the adult population is obese in Iceland and Luxembourg as well. Of the Baltics, Estonia was doing better than Lithuania but worse than Latvia. Among the Nordics, only in Iceland - not in the EU but included in the study - there was a greater percentage of the adult population obese than in Estonia.

7 Eating Disorders Rampant in Estonia Jan 4, 2011 by Eating Disorder Magazine Eating disorders are a problem that plague women across the globe. While symptoms can vary between specific disorders, the shame and physical risks associated with disordered eating behaviors are consistent. Many women who have eating disorders hide their eating disorders for many years, causing damage to their bodies through malnutrition. Hiding an eating disorder can cause the problem to advance until it is very difficult to reverse the patterns of behavior that characterize the disorder. In time, the individual develops problems with malnutrition and heart malfunction due to restricted calorie intake and extremely low body weight. A recent study examined the trends of eating disorders in the European country of Estonia. The study is the first of its kind in Estonia, and found that 7.7 percent of Estonian women struggle with eating disorders. The study s author is Kirsti Akermann of the University of Tartu who conducted the study for her dissertation. Women are not the only Estonians who are affected by the widespread eating disorders in this country. Men also suffer from eating disorders at a rate of 1 percent. In addition to struggling with eating disorders, there are also many people in Estonia who struggle with maintaining a healthy maximum weight. While Estonians saw a decrease in the number of overweight adults during the 1990s, there was a rise in the problem during the 2000s. The Institute for Health Development reports that in 2008, 56 percent of men and 45 percent of women in Estonia were overweight. Children also began to be more overweight during the 2000s. While 6.1 percent of Estonian children were overweight in 2008, there was a sharp increase to 9.6 percent in The most commonly diagnosed eating disorders are anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Anorexia is characterized by an extreme restriction of calories and using radical exercise methods to reduce the number of calories absorbed by the body. Bulimia symptoms include a cycle of bingeing, in which an unusually large number of calories are consumed in a relatively short amount of time, and purging, in which the food is expelled before it is absorbed using self-induced vomiting or laxatives. The cause for eating disorders is a complex combination of environmental and biological factors. Eating disorders often emerge during adolescence or during a significant life change such as divorce or the death of a loved one. While the exact causes of eating disorders are still being explored, experts agree that early treatment is critical to help individuals restore nutritional balance.