Eight out of 10 people in some parts of Eastern Europe are obese or pre-obese. The highest rates are in rural Slovakia, where 83% of women are obese or overweight, according to a new report (Economics and Human Biology 2007;5:392-408).

“Obesity is no longer a phenomenon confined to wealthier parts of the world such as Western Europe but is increasingly found in the transition countries of the European Region,” say the authors. “Estimates of the costs to the health services and to economic productivity indicate that some countries may find it hard to cope with the burden of obesity.”

Adoption of Western diet and lifestyles are implicated, and the authors …