Pizza, pasta, potatoes, protein - how Italian children became so overweight

17‑year‑old Salvatore’s struggle (he weighs 170kg and can barely walk) underlines a rising childhood obesity problem in Italy — in parts of Campania more than 40% of eight‑ and nine‑year‑olds are overweight.
The traditional Mediterranean diet has weakened: ultra‑processed foods, overloaded pizzas and cultural attitudes mean many families don’t recognise unhealthy eating.
Italy is trying multiple fixes — from weight‑loss surgery and GLP‑1 injections to school nutrition programmes and controversial fasting trials — and in 2025 it formally recognised obesity as a chronic disease.