Methodology and implementation of the WHO European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative (COSI)

Establishment of the WHO European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative (COSI) has resulted in a surveillance system which provides regular, reliable, timely, and accurate data on children's weight status—through standardized measurement of bodyweight and height—in the WHO European Region. Additional data on dietary intake, physical activity, sedentary behavior, family background, and school environments are collected in several countries. In total, 45 countries in the European Region have participated in COSI. The first five data collection rounds, between 2007 and 2021, yielded measured anthropometric data on over 1.3 million children. In COSI, data are collected according to a common protocol, using standardized instruments and procedures. The systematic collection and analysis of these data enables intercountry comparisons and reveals differences in the prevalence of childhood thinness, overweight, normal weight, and obesity between and within populations. Furthermore, it facilitates investigation of the relationship between overweight, obesity, and potential risk or protective factors and improves the understanding of the development of overweight and obesity in European primary-school children in order to support appropriate and effective policy responses

Paleogene Radiation of a Plant Pathogenic Mushroom

Background: The global movement and speciation of fungal plant pathogens is important, especially because of the economic losses they cause and the ease with which they are able to spread across large areas. Understanding the biogeography and origin of these plant pathogens can provide insights regarding their dispersal and current day distribution. We tested the hypothesis of a Gondwanan origin of the plant pathogenic mushroom genus Armillaria and the currently accepted premise that vicariance accounts for the extant distribution of the species. Methods: The phylogeny of a selection of Armillaria species was reconstructed based on Maximum Parsimony (MP), Maximum Likelihood (ML) and Bayesian Inference (BI). A timeline was then placed on the divergence of lineages using a Bayesian relaxed molecular clock approach. Results: Phylogenetic analyses of sequenced data for three combined nuclear regions provided strong support for three major geographically defined clades: Holarctic, South American-Australasian and African. Molecular dating placed the initial radiation of the genus at 54 million years ago within the Early Paleogene, postdating the tectonic break-up of Gondwana. Conclusions: The distribution of extant Armillaria species is the result of ancient long-distance dispersal rather than vicariance due to continental drift. As these finding are contrary to most prior vicariance hypotheses for fungi, our result

Health care costs and lost productivity costs related to excess weight in Belgium.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to estimate annual health care and lost productivity costs associated with excess weight among the adult population in Belgium, using national health&nbsp;data. METHODS: Health care costs and costs of absenteeism were estimated using data from the Belgian national health interview survey (BHIS) 2013 linked with individual health insurance data (2013-2017). Average yearly health care costs and costs of absenteeism were assessed by body mass index (BMI) categories&#8239;—&thinsp;i.e., underweight (BMI &lt; 18.5&nbsp;kg/m), normal weight (18.5 ≤ BMI &lt; 25&nbsp;kg/m), overweight (25 ≤ BMI &lt; 30&nbsp;kg/m) and obesity (BMI ≥ 30&nbsp;kg/m). Health care costs were also analysed by type of cost (i.e. ambulatory, hospital, reimbursed medication). The cost attributable to excess weight and the contribution of various other chronic conditions to the incremental cost of excess weight were estimated using the method of recycled prediction (a.k.a.&nbsp;standardisation). RESULTS: According to BHIS 2013, 34.7% and 13.9% of the Belgian adult population were respectively affected by overweight or obesity. They were mostly concentrated in the age-group 35-65&nbsp;years and had significantly more chronic conditions compared to the normal weight population. Average total healthcare expenses for people with overweight and obesity were significantly higher than those observed in the normal weight population. The adjusted incremental annual health care cost of excess weight in Belgium was estimated at €3,329,206,657 (€651 [95% CI: €144-€1,084] and €1,015 [95% CI: €343-€1,697] per capita for individuals with overweight and obesity respectively). The comorbidities identified to be the main drivers for these incremental health care costs were hypertension, high cholesterol, serious gloom and depression. Mean annual incremental cost of absenteeism for overweight accounted for €242 per capita but was not statistically significant, people with obesity showed a significantly higher cost (p &lt; 0.001) compared to the normal weight population: €2,015 [95% CI: €179-€4,336] per capita. The annual total incremental costs due to absenteeism of the population affected by overweight and obesity was estimated at €1,209,552,137. Arthritis, including rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis, was the most important driver of the incremental cost of absenteeism in individuals with overweight and obesity, followed by hypertension and low back&nbsp;pain. CONCLUSIONS: The mean annual incremental cost of excess weight in Belgium is of concern and stresses the need for policy actions aiming to reduce excess body weight. This study can be used as a baseline to evaluate the potential savings and health benefits of obesity prevention&nbsp;interventions.</p

Voedselconsumptiepeiling 2014-2015. Rapport 4: de consumptie van voedingsmiddelen en de inname van voedingstoffen

Voeding en eetgewoonten zijn van groot belang voor de volksgezondheid. Ze zijn namelijk belangrijke factoren voor de ontwikkeling van niet-overdraagbare aandoeningen, zoals diabetes, hart- en vaatziekten en kanker. Om een voedingsbeleid te kunnen opstellen aangepast aan de behoeften van de Belgische bevolking is het dus noodzakelijk om een correct en recent beeld te hebben van de voedingsconsumptie en eetgewoonten in België. De laatste Voedselconsumptiepeiling uitgevoerd in België dateert van 2004. Aangezien eetgewoonten evolueren doorheen de jaren, was het nodig om deze gegevens te actualiseren. Daarom werd er op initiatief van de Minister van Sociale Zaken en Volksgezondheid en de Federale Overheidsdienst (FOD) Volksgezondheid, Veiligheid van de Voedselketen en Leefmilieu een tweede Voedselconsumptiepeiling opgestart in 2014. Deze studie werd georganiseerd, gecofinancierd en uitgevoerd door het Wetenschappelijk Instituut Volksgezondheid (WIV-ISP). De Voedselconsumptiepeiling 2014-2015 heeft als algemene doelstelling om de voedingsconsumptie, de eetgewoonten en de lichaamsbeweging van de Belgische bevolking tussen de 3 en 64 jaar te beschrijven. Dit onderzoek heeft als voordeel dat, voor het eerst in België, er gegevens zijn verzameld bij kinderen (3-9 jaar) en adolescenten (10-17 jaar). Deze gegevens zijn cruciaal voor het uitwerken van preventieve maatregelen aangepast aan deze kwetsbare&nbsp;leeftijdsgroepen.</p

Health care costs and lost productivity costs related to excess weight in Belgium

Background This study aimed to estimate annual health care and lost productivity costs associated with excess weight among the adult population in Belgium, using national health&nbsp;data. Methods Health care costs and costs of absenteeism were estimated using data from the Belgian national health interview survey (BHIS) 2013 linked with individual health insurance data (2013–2017). Average yearly health care costs and costs of absenteeism were assessed by body mass index (BMI) categories – i.e., underweight (BMI &lt; 18.5&nbsp;kg/m2), normal weight (18.5 ≤ BMI &lt; 25&nbsp;kg/m2), overweight (25 ≤ BMI &lt; 30&nbsp;kg/m2) and obesity (BMI ≥ 30&nbsp;kg/m2). Health care costs were also analysed by type of cost (i.e. ambulatory, hospital, reimbursed medication). The cost attributable to excess weight and the contribution of various other chronic conditions to the incremental cost of excess weight were estimated using the method of recycled prediction (a.k.a.&nbsp;standardisation). Results According to BHIS 2013, 34.7% and 13.9% of the Belgian adult population were respectively affected by overweight or obesity. They were mostly concentrated in the age-group 35–65&nbsp;years and had significantly more chronic conditions compared to the normal weight population. Average total healthcare expenses for people with overweight and obesity were significantly higher than those observed in the normal weight&nbsp;population. The adjusted incremental annual health care cost of excess weight in Belgium was estimated at €3,329,206,657 (€651 [95% CI: €144-€1,084] and €1,015 [95% CI: €343–€1,697] per capita for individuals with overweight and obesity respectively). The comorbidities identified to be the main drivers for these incremental health care costs were hypertension, high cholesterol, serious gloom and depression. Mean annual incremental cost of absenteeism for overweight accounted for €242 per capita but was not statistically significant, people with obesity showed a significantly higher cost (p &lt; 0.001) compared to the normal weight population: €2,015 [95% CI: €179–€4,336] per capita. The annual total incremental costs due to absenteeism of the population affected by overweight and obesity was estimated at €1,209,552,137. Arthritis, including rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis, was the most important driver of the incremental cost of absenteeism in individuals with overweight and obesity, followed by hypertension and low back&nbsp;pain. Conclusions The mean annual incremental cost of excess weight in Belgium is of concern and stresses the need for policy actions aiming to reduce excess body weight. This study can be used as a baseline to evaluate the potential savings and health benefits of obesity prevention&nbsp;interventions.</p