Bulgaria has the fifth-highest rate of childhood obesity in Europe and the sixth-highest among adults, said Prof. Tsvetalina Tankova. She said active policies are needed to tackle the problem.

Tankova heads the diabetes clinic at the Acad. Ivan Penchev University Hospital for Active Treatment in Endocrinology. She is also a board member of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes. She spoke at a forum called "Effective Policies for the Prevention and Management of Obesity". It was a round table held during an extraordinary meeting of the parliamentary health committee and organised by the "Health Under Pressure" Coalition against Obesity.

Obesity is more than a medical problem, Tankova said. She believes it also has serious social, economic and psychological effects. She called it a chronic, progressive and very widespread disease. The World Health Organization defines it as an abnormal or excessive build-up of body fat that poses a health risk.

The global figures are very worrying, Tankova said. About 1bn people now live with obesity, or one in eight adults. In 10 years, one in four adults is expected to be obese.

The trend differs by region and country. Obesity is rising in developing countries. Studies in 200 countries show that in some developed countries it is coming under control among children and adults, or is even falling.

Tankova said obesity damages every tissue and organ. It can cause cancer and diseases of the central nervous system, the respiratory system, the bones and muscles, and the kidneys and urinary system.

Controlling obesity is not just about losing weight, she said. It takes a broad, joint effort to invest in health and a better quality of life.