The 7th Croatian Congress on Obesity opened in the northern Adriatic town of Opatija on Thursday, and its main goals is to raise awareness of obesity as one of the world's biggest health problems, the head of the Croatian Obesity Association (HDD), Davor Stimac, said in a news conference.

“Obesity is increasingly becoming a problem globally, considering that half of the world’s population is overweight or obese already,” Stimac said, and added that “this is no longer a problem of aesthetics, it is also a huge health problem, as most diseases are likely to have worse outcomes if the patient is overweight.”

The four-day meeting will be attended by 450 health professionals, including 17 international experts on obesity invited to speak.

“The goal of the meeting is to not only to raise awareness among doctors, nurses and even students of medicine, but we also want to talk to the public, with forums discussing topics like the effectiveness of the Paleo diet, the relation between obesity and physical activity, and weight control,” Stimac added.

Croatia is experiencing a growing prevalence of overweight and obesity in children, with estimates saying one in three children in the country is overweight. On the other hand, the growth of overweight adults has been slowing down in recent years.

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