Bills No. … have been submitted to the Verkhovna Rada.15428 and No.15429, who propose banning the sale of products high in sugar, salt, and saturated fats within a 400-meter radius of educational institutions. The authors of the initiative explain the need for such restrictions by citing the rising prevalence of childhood obesity and international practice. In response to an inquiry LIGA.net The Public Health Center (PHC) reported that it does not maintain official statistics on the prevalence of obesity among children in Ukraine.
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At the same time, the Center has at its disposal There are results. the first COSI study in Ukraine, conducted in 2023–2024 using the WHO methodology. It showed that:
→ 23% of children aged 6–9 are overweight
→ among 7-year-olds, excess body weight was recorded in 21.86%, obesity in 8.31%, and severe obesity in 2.16%
→ Boys are more likely to be overweight or obese than girls
The Public Health Center emphasized that only one round of the study has been conducted so far, making it impossible to assess long-term trends in obesity prevalence. At the same time, the results indicate that the issue remains pressing: nearly one in four children aged 6–9 is overweight, while more than one in ten suffers from obesity or severe obesity
According to the Center’s assessment, the development of childhood obesity is driven by an unbalanced diet, excessive consumption of foods high in sugar, salt, and saturated fats, low physical activity, prolonged screen time, and insufficient sleep, as well as the family and school environments
The Public Health Center did not express support for or opposition to the bills. Its response noted that a position on specific legislative initiatives is formulated only after they have undergone official review. At the same time, the Center supports measures to create a healthy food environment for children, restrict the marketing of unhealthy foods, and promote a healthy lifestyle in line with WHO recommendations
According to Mykola Hunko, an aide to MP Heorhii Mazurashu and the author of the two bills, the documents were drafted based on both Ukrainian realities and international experience—specifically that of the UK and other countries where similar restrictions are already in place. He stated that the initiative is grounded in disease prevention and preventive medicine
Children’s health determines the future burden on the healthcare system, since Childhood obesity significantly increases risk of chronic diseases in adulthood
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This is a machine translation of the original article in Ukrainian. It may contain errors.
