Pizza, pasta, potatoes, protein – how Italian children became so overweight
Italian children and teenagers are increasingly obese, especially in southern regions. The country has passed a law recognizing obesity as a chronic disease and is implementing various intervention programs.
Salvatore, 17, weighs 170 kg and struggles to walk. He cannot tie his shoelaces, and his Vespa scooter's wheels break frequently. Doctors have refused him weight-loss surgery because his weight makes it too dangerous. Instead, he receives GLP-1 injections to reduce his appetite.
Childhood obesity is particularly severe in the Campania region of southern Italy, where over 40% of eight- and nine-year-olds are overweight. The town of Ponticelli, near Naples, has been called one of the world's child obesity capitals. According to the World Health Organization, Italian children are among the most overweight in Europe.
Teacher Francesca Pecce at Ugo Foscolo primary school has a 10-year-old pupil weighing about 60 kg. She tried to discuss it with his mother, but the mother is not worried – in Neapolitan culture, a chubby child is often seen as healthy.
In 2025, Italy became the first country to pass a national law recognizing obesity as a chronic, progressive, and relapsing disease, not just the result of poor choices. The Campania region is testing several interventions, including a controversial "fast-mimicking diet." Researchers are recruiting 300 overweight adolescents who will follow a 1,100-calorie diet on day one and 770 calories on the next four days every three months to trigger a "metabolic reset."
However, not all specialists are convinced. Paediatrician Berni Canani says evidence for fasting diets in children is limited and warns of psychological risks such as eating disorders.
