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Obesity in Cyprus has reached 16.9% of the population, according to the country’s first National Nutrition Survey, released Friday by the Research and Education Institute “Health of the Child.” The study was conducted under the European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA) guidelines and funded through the EU MENU program.
The survey, carried out between 2014 and 2018 and followed up in 2022, included 1,864 participants ranging from infants to adults up to age 74. Researchers also tracked weight changes during the initial two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, finding an average adult weight gain of 2.7 kilograms.
Obesity rates were found to be significantly higher in rural areas (20.5%) compared to urban centers (14.6%), and more prevalent in low-income households. One-third of Cypriots reported very low physical activity levels, and nearly half of adult men and a third of adult women smoke regularly.
Additional findings reveal that one in five residents does not follow the Mediterranean Diet, and only 7% of adults adhere to Orthodox fasting practices for the full prescribed periods. About 20% of mothers reported not breastfeeding at all.
The survey assessed a wide range of health and lifestyle factors, including diet, physical activity, income, smoking, and sleep, with the aim of informing future public health policy. The €200,000 study was conducted by the State General Laboratory in partnership with “Health of the Child.”
