Fighting obesity is a shared task for institutions, local councils and civic groups, and it needs continuity between parliament and the government, parliament speaker Mihaela Dotsova said. She said Bulgaria ranks among the worst countries for obesity in children and adults.
Dotsova spoke at a round table called "Effective policies for preventing and managing obesity", organised by the Coalition Against Obesity "Health Under Pressure". It was held at an extraordinary meeting of parliament's health committee. She said people directly affected by the disease should be heard first.
Dotsova called obesity a serious chronic disease with a big social and economic cost. It leads to heart disease, diabetes and other illnesses, she said. She said prevention matters most, and the severe effects of the disease mean the topic must be discussed.
"Today's forum shows that some topics have no party colour, and obesity is one of them," Dotsova said. She added: "I am glad that we again have a chance to show cross-party consensus."
The cabinet has already adopted the National Programme for the Prevention of Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases 2026-2030, Dotsova noted. It includes measures against heart disease, cancer, diabetes and chronic lung disease, and contains specific solutions.