Under-eating is also a killer, experts warn

Efforts to tackle rising obesity levels are leaving Europeans unaware of the risks of under-eating, according to a new report from medical researchers.

The report found that 40% of 3,000 hospital patients studied in 30 European countries were suffering from malnutrition. A large number of these were thought to be malnourished before arriving at hospital.

The research was carried out by pharmacy and healthcare representatives, the European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism, the European Nutrition for Health Alliance and the Medical Nutrition International Industries.

"Malnutrition strategy is all too often focused on dealing with obesity and…malnutrition is not given the place it deserves in European health agendas," the report’s authors said.

A European Commission-led discussion group on diet, physical activity and health has come to be known as the obesity platform because of its primary focus on this health problem, which has been linked to many chronic diseases. Some 30% of European children are now thought to be overweight or obese.

But at the same time one-third of old people in the EU are thought to be malnourished, and malnutrition has been linked to diseases including cancer, strokes and diabetes. This is particularly a problem in hospitals, where ill patients need to be made aware of the risks of not eating enough, according to the report.

The three groups which drafted the report called on the Commission and European Parliament, together with national governments, to "offer political direction and support" for everyone involved in the fight against nutrition, as well as developing nutrition plans for hospital patients.

Lisette Tiddens-Engwirda of CPME, the European doctors’ group, welcomed the new research. "There is not much data on malnutrition at EU level," she said, adding:

"Malnutrition should get attention - as of course should obesity."

"I am quite convinced that people, especially ill people, are not aware of the risks of under-eating," Tiddens-Engwirda said.

An official from the Commission’s health department said that the incidence of being overweight or obese was "a very visible indicator that diets and physical activity levels" were worsening and they were an "important way to alert member states and other stakeholders of the need to do more about diet and physical activity in general".

The official added: "We acknowledge malnutrition to be another serious consequence of these trends and believe that by targeting the fundamentals, we will have a positive impact on this condition too."

Efforts to tackle rising obesity levels are leaving Europeans unaware of the risks of under-eating, according to a new report from medical researchers.