Current nutritional status of the Polish population – focus on body weight status

Introduction:
The increasing prevalence of overweight, defined as excessive body weight, among diffe­rent population groups is one of the most serious public health problems that Poland has to face. The aim of this paper was to review the recent data regarding the nutritional status of subpopulations of children, adolescents and adults in Poland.

Material and methods:
The search was conducted using PubMed, Google Scholar, and Web of Sciences databases, as well as official websites of the Polish Ministry of Health, the National Institute of Public Health NIH – National Research Institute and the World Health Organization. Scientific publications in English and Polish, published between January 2020 and September 2023, were used as sources of information.

Results:
The prevalence of overweight among children, adolescents and adults in Poland is relatively high. However, it should be noted that most studies were observational, the methods used for data collection varied (self-reported vs. measured), and BMI was a tool to measure body weight status. The prevalence of overweight among the paediatric population varies from 11% to 45%. Among adults, the prevalence of overweight exceeds 62% for men and 43% for women. The prevalence of higher-than-normal body mass increases with age. The COVID-19 pandemic increased the risk of abnormal body weight among both paediatric and adult populations.

Conclusions:
Early prevention is essential in dealing with excessive body weight and the adverse health outcomes that may result therefrom. To address the weight gain problem across different populations, comprehensive and family-based obesity prevention programmes should be implemented.