Weight measures surveillance in adults: Italian Health Examination Survey 2023-2025 - CUORE Project
Abstract
Background: WHO recommends to halt the rise of obesity in the population by 2030 (baseline 2010) and suggests to monitor targets by periodic Health Examination Surveys (HESs). In Italy, a new survey started in 2023 within the CUORE Project, promoted and financed by the Ministry of Health – CCM and the European Commission through JACARDI.
Methods: In the period 2023-2025 a HES including anthropometric assessment was implemented. Up to now, data from random samples of residents in 18 Regions (out of 20 regions) distributed in North, Centre and South of Italy are available (1833 men, 1850 women aged 35-74 years). Weight and height were measured using standardized methods and asked to participants before to be measured. European Standard age-sex distribution was used.
Results: Mean level of measured BMI was 27.6 kg/m2 (27.2-28.0 kg/m2) in men and 26.5 kg/m2 (26.0-27.0 kg/m2) in women. Prevalence of measured obesity (BMI≥30 kg/m2), overweight (25≤BMI<30 kg/m2) and normal weight (18.5≤BMI<25 kg/m2) was 23% (95% confidence interval: 19-27%), 47% (42-51%), 30% (26-34%) in men, and 23% (19-26%), 31% (26-35%), 45% (40-49%) in women. In the overweight/obesity condition: men - 62% aged 35-44 years, 72% aged 45-54 years, 73% aged 55-64 years, and 75% aged 65-74 years; women - 39%, 53%, 57%, and 66%. Participants who underestimated their BMI were 77% of men and 84% of women; 21% and 15% overestimated it. Misclassification of BMI class based on self-reported data occurred in 20% of men and 22% of women.
Conclusions: Preliminary obesity prevalence resulted stable in comparison to HES data from 15 or 5 years ago. However, 70% of men and 54% of women are in the overweight/obesity condition. Preventive actions at national and community level should be still massively implemented. Prevalence of self-reported misclassified BMI supports the WHO recommendation to monitor targets by periodic survey based on measured data - HESs.
Key messages: • A quite stable obesity prevalence trend was observed in comparison to 15 and 5 years ago, but obesity and overweight resulted still prevalent in the Italian adult general population.
• Significant differences resulted between measured and self-reported obesity prevalence supporting the WHO recommendation to monitor targets by periodic health examination surveys.
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BibTeX
@article{cardinale2026weight,
title = {{Weight measures surveillance in adults: Italian Health Examination Survey 2023-2025 - CUORE Project}},
author = {A Cardinale and B Marcozzi and C Lo Noce and T Dipol and S Vannucchi and C Damiano and B Armocida and P Bellisario and L Palmieri and C Donfrancesco},
journal = {The European Journal of Public Health},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.1869},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.1869},
note = {CC BY-NC 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Weight measures surveillance in adults: Italian Health Examination Survey 2023-2025 - CUORE Project
AU - A Cardinale
AU - B Marcozzi
AU - C Lo Noce
AU - T Dipol
AU - S Vannucchi
AU - C Damiano
AU - B Armocida
AU - P Bellisario
AU - L Palmieri
AU - C Donfrancesco
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
JO - The European Journal of Public Health
DO - 10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.1869
UR - https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.1869
AB - Background: WHO recommends to halt the rise of obesity in the population by 2030 (baseline 2010) and suggests to monitor targets by periodic Health Examination Surveys (HESs). In Italy, a new survey started in 2023 within the CUORE Project, promoted and financed by the Ministry of Health – CCM and the European Commission through JACARDI. Methods: In the period 2023-2025 a HES including anthropometric assessment was implemented. Up to now, data from random samples of residents in 18 Regions (out of 20 regions) distributed in North, Centre and South of Italy are available (1833 men, 1850 women aged 35-74 years). Weight and height were measured using standardized methods and asked to participants before to be measured. European Standard age-sex distribution was used. Results: Mean level of measured BMI was 27.6 kg/m2 (27.2-28.0 kg/m2) in men and 26.5 kg/m2 (26.0-27.0 kg/m2) in women. Prevalence of measured obesity (BMI≥30 kg/m2), overweight (25≤BMI<30 kg/m2) and normal weight (18.5≤BMI<25 kg/m2) was 23% (95% confidence interval: 19-27%), 47% (42-51%), 30% (26-34%) in men, and 23% (19-26%), 31% (26-35%), 45% (40-49%) in women. In the overweight/obesity condition: men - 62% aged 35-44 years, 72% aged 45-54 years, 73% aged 55-64 years, and 75% aged 65-74 years; women - 39%, 53%, 57%, and 66%. Participants who underestimated their BMI were 77% of men and 84% of women; 21% and 15% overestimated it. Misclassification of BMI class based on self-reported data occurred in 20% of men and 22% of women. Conclusions: Preliminary obesity prevalence resulted stable in comparison to HES data from 15 or 5 years ago. However, 70% of men and 54% of women are in the overweight/obesity condition. Preventive actions at national and community level should be still massively implemented. Prevalence of self-reported misclassified BMI supports the WHO recommendation to monitor targets by periodic survey based on measured data - HESs. Key messages: • A quite stable obesity prevalence trend was observed in comparison to 15 and 5 years ago, but obesity and overweight resulted still prevalent in the Italian adult general population. • Significant differences resulted between measured and self-reported obesity prevalence supporting the WHO recommendation to monitor targets by periodic health examination surveys.
SN - 1101-1262
SN - 1464-360X
ER -