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Date Published: 28/05/2025

Murcia's health warning: More obese kids, more anxious adults and more heart attacks than anywhere in Spain

The Region of Murcia is topping all the wrong charts, from childhood obesity and sedentary lifestyles to high rates of depression, anxiety and heart disease

The Region of Murcia is facing a serious health crisis, according to the latest National Health Survey. The data shows that both children and adults here are struggling more than anywhere else in Spain, with higher levels of obesity, anxiety, depression and heart attacks.

Worryingly, one in ten children in Murcia is obese, and more than a quarter are overweight. No other region in the country comes close to these numbers. Among girls, 27.4 percent are overweight, compared to 24.3 percent of boys. The region’s figures are nearly ten points above the national average.

Lifestyle habits may be part of the problem. Around two-thirds of children under 15 spend at least an hour in front of screens every weekday. On weekends, that jumps to more than 83 percent. Murcian kids also eat fast food more often than most; 17 percent of them eat it at least three times a week, compared to just over 10 percent nationally. Fewer than half eat fresh fruit daily, although they do tend to eat more vegetables and consume fewer sugary drinks than the national average.

The picture among adults is just as concerning. Murcia has the second highest adult obesity rate in Spain, with 20 percent of over-18s classed as obese. And almost half of the region’s adult population says they don’t do any regular physical activity. Daily smoking is also more common here, with nearly 20 percent of people over 15 years old lighting up regularly. Alcohol use, on the other hand, is slightly lower than the national average.

All of this adds up to a bigger risk of serious health conditions. Murcia has the highest rate of heart attacks in Spain. It is also among the worst regions for diabetes and high cholesterol. Mental health is another area of concern. Nearly 10 percent of people in Murcia suffer from depression, and almost 13 percent report living with chronic anxiety. Women are particularly affected; 14 percent of women over 15 years of age report depression, compared to just 5.6 percent of men.

The survey also found that Murcia has the highest percentage of people with severe depressive symptoms. Over 3 percent of the population is affected, compared to a national average of 1.6 percent. Medication use is also high, with more than 13 percent of residents taking some kind of relaxant or sleeping pills and almost 8 percent taking antidepressants in the two weeks before the survey.

Chronic or long-term conditions or illnesses

This latest report is a clear sign that the Region of Murcia is struggling when it comes to public health - and it all starts with the way people live, eat and look after themselves day to day.

Images: G.C./Pixabay and INE (National Institute of Statistics)

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