Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity

Romania

This is one of the 53 country profiles covering developments in nutrition,

physical activity and obesity in the WHO European Region. The full set
of individual profiles and an overview report including methodology and
summary can be downloaded from the WHO Regional Office for Europe
website: http://www.euro.who.int/en/nutrition-country-profiles.
World Health Organization 2013
All rights reserved.

Demographic data
Total population

21 486 000

Median age (years)

38.4

Life expectancy at birth (years) female | male

76.8 | 69.6

GDP per capita (US$)

7522.0

GDP spent on health (%)

Monitoring and surveillance

5.6

PREVALENCE of overweight and obesity (%) among

Romanian adults based on WHO 2008 estimates

Overweight and obesity in three age groups

Adults (20 years and over)

53.1 49.1

Intercountry comparable overweight and obesity estimates from 2008 (1) show
that 51.0% of the adult population (> 20 years old) in Romania were overweight
and 19.1% were obese. The prevalence of overweight was higher among men
(53.1%) than women (49.1%). The proportion of men and women that were
obese was 16.9% and 21.2%, respectively. Adulthood obesity prevalence
forecasts (20102030) predict that in 2020, 12% of men and 9% of women will
be obese. By 2030, the model predicts that 15% of men and 10% of women
will be obese.1

16.9 21.2
Source: WHO Global Health Observatory Data Repository (1).

Prevalence of obesity (%) (BMI 30.0 kg/m2) among adults in the WHO European Region based on WHO 2008 estimates
35
30
25
20
15

NO DATA

TJK

KGZ

TKM

UZB

CHE

FRA

MDA

ROU

NLD

DNK

UKR

SWE

EST

GRC

ITA

MKD

AUT

ALB

GEO

ARM

KAZ

MNE

AZE

BEL

LVA

BLR

HRV

NOR

BGR

ISL

FIN

SRB

CYP

POL

SVK

PRT

RUS

DEU

AND

LTU

LUX

ISR

BIH

HUN

IRL

TUR

ESP

SVN

GBR

CZE

MLT

SMR

MCO

NO DATA

10

10
20
30
40
50
60
70

Prevalence of overweight (%) (BMI 25.0 kg/m2) among adults in the WHO European Region based on WHO 2008 estimates
Notes. The country codes refer to the ISO 3166-1 Alpha-3 country codes. Data ranking for obesity is intentionally the same as for the overweight data. BMI: body mass index.
Source: WHO Global Health Observatory Data Repository (1).
Report on modelling adulthood obesity across the WHO European Region, prepared by consultants (led by T. Marsh and colleagues) for the WHO Regional Office for Europe
in 2013.

The Regional Office is grateful to the European Commission (EC) for its financial support for the preparation of this country profile and the development of the nutrition, obesity and physical activity database
that provided data for it.

Adolescents (1019 years)

PREVALENCE of overweight (%) IN R0MANIAN

ADOLESCENTS (based on self-reported data on height
and weight)

In terms of prevalence of overweight and obesity in adolescents, up to 33% of

boys and 19% of girls among 11-year-olds were overweight, according to data
from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) survey (2009/2010).2
Among 13-year-olds, the corresponding figures were 25% for boys and 15% for
girls, and among 15-year-olds, 27% and 10%, respectively (2).2

33

Children (09 years)

25

19

11-year-olds

No data are available from the WHO European Childhood Obesity Surveillance
Initiative (COSI) 2007/2008 round. Romania, however, joined the third COSI data
collection round during the school year 2012/2013.

27

15

13-year-olds

10

15-year-olds

Source: Currie et al. (2).

Exclusive breastfeeding until 6 months of age

Nationally representative data from 2004 show that the prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding at 6 months of age was 15.8% in Romania.3
Prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding (%) under or at 6 months of age from individual country-based surveys, various years
Under 6 months of age
At 6 months of age
At 3, 4 or 5 months of age

60
50
40
30
20
10

KGZ

HRV

MDA

ALB

TUR

MLT

HUN

ARM

SVK

KAZ

LTU

ESP

TJK

UZB

DNK

MKD

ISL

DEU

UKR

MNE

CZE

NLD

LVA

BIH

FIN

ROU

SRB

CYP

CHE

AZE

NOR

TKM

GEO

AUT

SWE

BEL

BLR

LUX

ITA

IRL

BGR

GBR

SVN

GRC

SMR

PRT

RUS

POL

ISR

MCO

EST

AND

FRA

NO NATIONAL DATA

Notes. The country codes refer to the ISO 3166-1 Alpha-3 country codes. Data were derived from country-specific publications on surveys carried out in this field, not as part of a Europeanwide survey. Due to different data collection methods of the country-specific surveys, any comparisons between countries must be made with caution.
Source: WHO Regional Office for Europe grey literature from 2012 on breastfeeding.

Saturated fat intake

According to 2007 estimates, the adult population in Romania consumed 9% of their total calorie intake from saturated fatty acids (3).
Proportion of energy from saturated fatty acids (%) among adults in the WHO European Region, 2007
16
14
12

FAO RECOMMENDATION - max. 10% energy

10
8
6
4
2

UZB

UKR

TKM

TUR

MKD

TJK

SVK

CHE

SRB

SMR

RUS

MDA

NOR

MNE

KGZ

ISR

KAZ

ISL

GEO

CZE

CYP

BIH

HRV

BLR

AZE

ARM

ALB

AND

BGR

LTU

EST

ROU

POL

MLT

ESP

ITA

PRT

GBR

LUX

IRL

SVN

DEU

LVA

HUN

GRC

NLD

SWE

FIN

AUT

DNK

BEL

FRA

MCO

NO DATA

Notes. The country codes refer to the ISO 3166-1 Alpha-3 country codes. Ranking of data was carried out so that country data at the right-hand side of the graph with values below the
FAO recommendation fall within the positive frame of the indicator. FAO: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
Source: FAOSTAT (3).

2
3

Based on 2007 WHO growth reference.

WHO Regional Office for Europe grey literature from 2012 on breastfeeding.

Fruit and vegetable supply

Romania had a fruit and vegetable supply of 620 grams per capita per day, according to 2009 estimates (3).
Fruit and vegetable supply (GRAMS) per person per day in the WHO European Region, 2009
1200
1000
800

WHO/FAO RECOMMENDATION - >600 grams

600

MNE

ARM

TUR

GRC

PRT

ALB

ITA

ISR

BIH

MLT

LUX

MKD

IRL

UZB

SRB

DNK

ESP

AZE

AUT

CYP

ROU

BEL

SVN

HUN

KAZ

GBR

BLR

NLD

NOR

FRA

SWE

UKR

ISL

HRV

RUS

CHE

TKM

EST

KGZ

POL

TJK

DEU

FIN

LTU

SVK

MDA

LVA

CZE

BGR

GEO

AND

SMR

200

MCO

NO DATA

400

Notes. The country codes refer to the ISO 3166-1 Alpha-3 country codes. Ranking of data was carried out so that country data at the right-hand side of the graph with values above the
WHO/FAO recommendation fall within the positive frame of the indicator.
Source: FAOSTAT (3).

Salt intake

Data from 2010 show that salt intake in Romania was 12.5 grams per day for men and 10.2 grams per day for women (4).
Salt intake (GRAMS) per person per day for adults in the WHO European Region from individual country-based surveys, various years
16
14
12
10
8

WHO/FAO RECOMMENDATION - <5 grams

6
4
2

UZB

UKR

TJK

TKM

SRB

SMR

RUS

MDA

MNE

MCO

KGZ

MLT

GRC

BIH

GEO

BLR

AZE

ARM

CYP

ALB

POL

ISR

BEL

LVA

AND

DEU

ISL

GBR

FIN

SVK

NLD

AUT

NOR

DNK

IRL

LTU

CHE

LUX

FRA

ITA

ESP

EST

SWE

PRT

ROU

SVN

BGR

CZE

MKD

HRV

TUR

HUN

KAZ

NO NATIONAL DATA

Notes. The country codes refer to the ISO 3166-1 Alpha-3 country codes. Data were derived from country-specific publications on surveys carried out in this field, not as part of a Europeanwide survey. Due to different data collection methods of the country-specific surveys, any comparisons between countries must be made with caution. Ranking of data was carried out so
that country data at the right-hand side of the graph with values below the WHO/FAO recommendation fall within the positive frame of the indicator.
Source: WHO Regional Office for Europe (4).

Iodine status

According to the most recent estimates on iodine status, published in 2012, the proportion of the population with an iodine level lower
than 100 g/L was 46.9% (5, 6).

Physical inactivity

In Romania, 39.9% of the population aged 15 years and over were insufficiently active (men 31.2% and women 47.9%), according to
estimates generated for 2008 by WHO (1).

Policies and actions

The table below displays (a) monitoring and evaluation methods of salt intake in Romania; (b) the stakeholder approach toward salt
reduction; and (c) the population approach in terms of labelling and consumer awareness initiatives (4).

Salt reduction initiatives

Monitoring & evaluation

Stakeholder approach

Population approach
Labelling

Industry self-reporting

88

Salt content in food

888

Salt intake

88

Consumer awareness

88

Behavioural change

Industry
involvement

Food
reformulation

Consumer awareness initiatives

Brochure
TV
Website
Print
Radio Software

Specific
food
category

Education Conference Reporting

Schools
Health
care
facilities

888

Urinary salt excretion (24 hrs)

Notes. 88 partially implemented; 888 fully implemented.
Source: WHO Regional Office for Europe (4).

88
88

88

888

Trans fatty acids (TFA) policies

Price policies (food taxation and subsidies)

Taxes

Legislation

Type of legislation

Measure

4 2008

Mandatory restriction
of foods containing TFA in
schools

Mandatory compositional
restrictions of TFA in fats in food for children

School fruit schemes

4

Source: WHO Regional Office for Europe grey literature from 2012 on TFA and health, TFA policy and food
industry approaches.

Sources: WHO Regional Office for Europe grey literature from 2012
on diet and the use of fiscal policy in the control and prevention of
noncommunicable diseases; EC School Fruit Scheme website (7).

Marketing of food and non-alcoholic beverages to children (8)

Ministerial Order 1563/2008 which addresses the approval of the list of foods not recommended for preschool children and schoolchildren
and the principles underlying healthy diets for children and adolescents established the criteria for which specific food items should not
be recommended (9). These food items are banned from sale on school premises in order to encourage schoolchildren to adopt healthy
dietary habits (10).

Physical activity (PA), national policy documents and action plans

Sport

Target groups

Health

Existence of national
sport for all policy
and/or national sport
for all implementation
programme

Existence of specific scheme or

programme for community
interventions to promote PA in the
elderly

Counselling on
PA as part of
primary health care
activities

Education

Transportation

Mandatory
physical
education in
primary and
secondary
schools

Inclusion of
PA in general
teaching
training

National or subnational
schemes promoting active
travel to school

4a

4a

4a

Existence of an incentive
scheme for companies or
employees to promote active
travel to work

a
Clearly stated in a policy document, entirely implemented and enforced.
Source: country reporting template on Romania from 2009 developed in the context of a WHO/EC project on monitoring progress on improving nutrition and PA and preventing obesity in
the European Union (EU).

Leadership, partnerships and professional networks on health-enhancing physical activity (HEPA)

Existence of national coordination
mechanism on HEPA promotion

Leading institution

Participating bodies

4 2000

National Authority for Sport and Youth

Government departments on education, research, youth and sport;

Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee

Source: country reporting template on Romania from 2009 developed in the context of a WHO/EC project on monitoring progress on improving nutrition and PA and preventing obesity in
the EU.

PA recommendations, goals and surveillance

Existence of national
recommendation on HEPA

Target groups adressed by

national HEPA policy

PA included in the
national health monitoring system

General population
Source: country reporting template on Romania from 2009 developed in the context of a WHO/EC project on monitoring progress on improving nutrition and PA and preventing obesity in
the EU.

References

1. WHO Global Health Observatory Data Repository [online database]. Geneva, World Health Organization, 2013 (http://apps.who.int/gho/data/view.main, accessed 21 May 2013).
2. Currie C et al., eds. Social determinants of health and well-being among young people: Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study: international report from the 2009/2010
survey. Copenhagen, WHO Regional Office for Europe, 2012 (Health Policy for Children and Adolescents, No. 6) (http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/163857/Socialdeterminants-of-health-and-well-being-among-young-people.pdf, accessed 21 May 2013).
3. FAOSTAT [online database]. Rome, Statistics Division of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2013 (http://faostat.fao.org/, accessed 21 May 2013).
4. Mapping salt reduction initiatives in the WHO European Region. Copenhagen, WHO Regional Office for Europe, 2013 http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/186462/
Mapping-salt-reduction-initiatives-in-the-WHO-European-Region.pdf
5. Andersson M, Karumbunathan V, Zimmermann MB. Global iodine status in 2011 and trends over the past decade. Journal of Nutrition, 2012, 142(4):744750.
6. Zimmerman MB, Andersson M. Update on iodine status worldwide. Current Opinion in Endocrinology, Diabetes and Obesity, 2012, 19(5):382387.
7. School Fruit Scheme [website]. Brussels, European Commission Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, 2012 (http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/sfs/eu-countries/
index_en.htm, accessed 21 May 2013).
8. Marketing of foods high in fat, salt and sugar to children: update 20122013. Copenhagen, WHO Regional Office for Europe, 2013 (http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_
file/0019/191125/e96859.pdf, accessed 10 October 2013).
9. Ministry of Public Health. Ordin Nr. 1563 din 12 septembrie 2008: pentru aprobarea Listei alimentelor nerecomandate prescolarilor si scolarilor si a principiilor care stau la baza unei
alimentatii sanatoase pentru copii si adolescenti [Ministerial Order No. 1563 of 12 September 2008: approval of the list of foods not recommended for preschool and schoolchildren and
the principles underlying health diets for children and adolescents]. Official Journal of Romania, 2008, 651 (http://www.dreptonline.ro/legislatie/ordin_lista_alimente_nerecomandate_
prescolari_scolari_1563_2008.php, accessed 30 October2013).
10. Legea nr. 123/2008 pentru o alimentatie sanatoasa in unitatile de invatamant preuniversitar: legea privind interzicerea mancarii fast-food in scoli [Law No. 123/2008 for healthy
eating in pre-university education: food law banning fast food in schools]. Official Journal of Romania, 2008, 410 (http://www.dreptonline.ro/legislatie/lege_alimentatie_sanatoasa_
unitatile_invatamant_preuniversitar_123_2008.php, accessed 30 October 2013).