Overview

Poland is a high-income country in Central Europe that has undergone a significant transition over the past thirty years from a communist regime to a democracy. Nowadays, about one quarter of adults, 12% of boys and 6% of girls are obese. For many years, obesity was not recognised as a disease, but rather as a risk-factor for cardiovascular diseases. It was only in 2016 that the government undertook specific activities, such as the National Health Programme, and secured financial resources to tackle the burden of obesity. Nevertheless, there remains a large gap between the strategy and actual implementation.