Italian children are struggling with a severe obesity epidemic, with many regions reporting over 40% of 8-9 year olds classified as overweight. The Mediterranean diet, once a model of healthy eating, has been lost in modern Italy, replaced by a diet of pizza, pasta, potatoes, protein, and pane - Italian bread. Supermarket shelves are stocked with ultra-processed foods, and pizzerias sell slices piled high with chips, sausages, and fried snacks.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Italian children are among the most overweight in Europe. The problem is particularly acute in the south, where towns like Ponticelli, near Naples, have earned a reputation as one of the world's child obesity capitals. Dr Sonja Chiappetta, a surgeon at the Betania Hospital in Ponticelli, has spent 15 years treating patients with severe obesity, but now sees teenagers as young as 16.
Dr Chiappetta attributes the rise in obesity to a change in eating habits, with small, calorie-dense foods consumed throughout the day contributing to the problem. Dr Roberto Berni Canani, a paediatrician and obesity specialist at the Federico II University in Naples, agrees, saying that many parents don't recognise their children are overweight until they seek medical help for other problems. One patient, ten-year-old Francesca, weighs 60kg and eats a diet of bread with Nutella for breakfast, pasta with lentils for lunch, and chicken for dinner, with no vegetables in sight.
The situation is alarming, with many children struggling with health problems due to their weight. Dr Berni Canani sees the consequences every day, treating children as young as two or three years old who are already overweight. The Italian Government must take action to address this growing health crisis, and parents must take responsibility for their children's eating habits.