Obesity: Annual economic burden in Greece reaches €3.4 billion, approximately 1.4% of GDP
Press Release
Overweight and obesity linked to 278,000 deaths and the loss of 8 million years of healthy life in 8 European countries
Annual economic burden in Greece reaches €3.4 billion, approximately 1.4% of GDP
Athens, September 24, 2026 – A new study across eight countries in Europe shows that elevated body mass index (BMI) is linked to major health and economic costs each year.
With 56% of people in Europe being overweight or living with obesity (2024) – including a third of all children – the health and financial impact of these conditions on European countries is starkly laid out in a new report published today. The Economic Burden of Overweight and Obesity in Europe by the Office for Health Economics (OHE) commissioned by EFPIA, quantifies the health and economic burden associated with overweight and obesity across eight European countries – Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Ireland, Greece, Romania and the United Kingdom.
The data shows that the impact of elevated BMI goes far beyond the health sector highlighting the need for a cross-governmental and broader societal response to obesity and associated diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Between 18% and 58% of total costs in the study countries were due to productivity losses from premature mortality and economic inactivity, absenteeism, presenteeism, and lost time due to caregiving.
Direct health costs are driven by the impact of obesity and elevated BMI on other non-communicable diseases: For example, elevated BMI is linked to:
- Nearly 60% of health losses (DALYs) caused by type 2 diabetes
- 45% of health losses caused by digestive disease
- 32% of health losses caused by chronic kidney disease
The study also shows that annual costs from elevated BMI range from 0.6% to 1.4% of GDP across eight study countries – and suggests these could be avoided if diseases were prevented, detected and managed earlier and better.
The Burden in Greece
In Greece, overweight and obesity are associated with an annual economic burden of €3.4 billion, or €328 per capita. This represents approximately 1.4% of GDP, exceeding expenditure on housing and amounting to more than half of the country’s defence spending.
Of the total cost, €2.3 billion (68%) relates to direct healthcare costs and €1.1 billion (32%) to indirect losses. Direct costs are primarily associated with type 2 diabetes (€0.9 billion), musculoskeletal conditions (€0.4 billion), and cardiovascular disease (€0.2 billion).
Within indirect costs, absenteeism and reduced productivity account for €0.3 billion each. These are followed by time spent providing informal care (€0.2 billion), economic inactivity due to illness (€0.1 billion), and premature mortality (€0.1 billion). Relatively high levels of absenteeism in Greece increase the indirect burden. Conversely, lower employment rates among older age groups, where elevated BMI is more prevalent, limit the scale of productivity losses.
Recommendations
The findings come at an important moment as Europe is currently implementing the EU Safe Hearts Plan and underscores the importance of recognising and addressing the close interconnections between obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease as part of the Plan.
The report calls for formal recognition, prevention and treatment as a chronic disease, concerted action to reduce systemic stigma and biases, and consistent incorporation of economic impacts in intervention and policy appraisal. It makes five recommendations to address the economic burden of obesity and elevated BMI:
- Recognise obesity as a disease: Formal recognition of obesity as a chronic, relapsing disease would strengthen surveillance, funding and access to appropriate care pathways.
- Address obesity-related stigma: Strengthen disease recognition and inclusive policies to reduce weight-based stigma and shift the focus from individual responsibility towards effective, systemic approaches.
- Improve access to prevention and treatment: Establish integrated, lifelong care pathways combining early detection with behavioural, pharmacological and metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS) interventions.
- Build the evidence for investment: Generate evidence on the wider economic and societal benefits of obesity interventions, including productivity, workforce participation and reduced welfare costs, to support cross-sectoral investment.
- Integrate obesity into the EU Safe Hearts Plan implementation: Set specific targets for obesity detection and management, including through health checks, to support the Plan’s goal of reducing premature CVD mortality by 2035.
Michael Himonas, Director General of SFEE, stated: “The findings of the study highlight obesity as one of the most significant public health challenges, with serious implications not only for people’s health and quality of life, but also for the sustainability of healthcare systems, productivity and social cohesion. Addressing obesity requires a new, holistic approach, free from prejudice and stigma, that recognises obesity as a chronic disease and invests in prevention, early diagnosis and comprehensive, evidence-based care. Through collaboration between the State, the scientific community and all relevant stakeholders, we can significantly improve health outcomes, reduce the economic and social burden, and build a healthier and more resilient society.”
https://www.ohe.org/publications/economic-burden-of-overweight-and-obesity-in-europe/
