site.btaOver 60% of Bulgarians Are Overweight, Obese - Head of Association for Study of Obesity, Related Diseases

More than 60% of adult Bulgarians are overweight and obese, with obesity being linked to more than 200 diseases, Prof. Teodora Handjieva-Darlenska, Chairperson of the Bulgarian Association for the Study of Obesity and Related Diseases, said here on Thursday. She spoke at the Longevity Forum: Unlocking Business and Personal Potential in the Age of Healthy Aging, organized by Capital.

Handjieva-Darlenska defined obesity as a chronic and recurrent disease associated with excessive fat accumulation, adding that it affects virtually the entire body. Gaining as little as five kilograms increases the risk of developing cardiovascular disease, diabetes, etc. Obesity leads to insulin resistance, various metabolic and hormonal disorders, and all of these increase the risk of atherosclerosis, cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and accelerated aging. Losing just 5-10% of body weight can lower risks of diseases. Handjieva-Darlenska added that maintaining a healthy weight could extend life expectancy by 10-15 years.

Carrying excess weight around the waist increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. Waist measurements should not exceed 80 cm for women and 94 cm for men. Going above these thresholds increases the risk of cardiovascular disease by 10%, Handjieva-Darlenska said. In her words, obesity also increases the risk of developing at least 13 types of cancer.

A study of centenarians in Bulgaria shows that virtually all of them have healthy weight, which they have sustained throughout their lives, she added. Eighty percent reported having a long-lived family member. Among these centenarians, 13% had smoked at some point of their lives, 69% had abstained from alcohol, and none followed a specific diet believed to contribute to their longevity, Handjieva-Darlenska said.