A/HRC/43/44/Add.5 institutions were around 9 per cent of food surpluses; (b) the Banco Alimentare foundation network distributed 90,000 tons of food, of which 40,000 tons were from the Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived, 40,000 tons were from private donations, and 10,000 tons were from “food collection” initiatives; and (c) food aid was provided to 7,500 local organizations and 1,500,000 people were served.49 87. The Special Rapporteur appreciates the many innovative and diverse food distribution and food aid initiatives, such as soup kitchens, creative food distribution programmes and shelters that provide food. In the north of Italy, a creative initiative called “Buon mercato” features a supermarket where poor families can do their food shopping by using points that are assigned to them by the organization on the basis of the family composition and level of income. 88. Another interesting initiative is the “Refettorio Ambrosiano”, established as a pop-up initiative during Expo 2015 in Milan to prevent food waste. Located in a formerly abandoned theatre, which was restored and transformed into a beautiful and modern space, it is now a permanent food kitchen that feeds an average of 100 people per day and offers meals prepared with donated produce from all over the city of Milan. 89. In the south, the Special Rapporteur visited the religious mission Speranza e Carità, established by missionary Biagio Conte, who has developed food aid programmes for the homeless and poor in Palermo, and opened a shelter that welcomes poor Italians and migrants. The mission includes a farm outside of Palermo, in Tagliavia, where beneficiaries receive farming skills training, contributing to the production of food. These initiatives are closely linked to the Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived, as it receives financial support through the Fund. V. Nutrition A. Obesity 90. In Italy, about 1 in 10 people are obese and more than 1 in 2 men and 1 in 3 women are overweight. Nearly one in three children (31 per cent) aged 8 or 9 years were either overweight or obese in 2019, representing one of the highest rates among countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.50 However, this rate was down slightly from 35 per cent in 2008.51 91. With regard to obesity, large socioeconomic disparities exist. Women with poor education are 3 times more likely to be overweight than more educated women, and poorly educated men are 1.3 times more likely to be overweight than more educated men.52 B. Unhealthy versus healthy diet 92. Poor choice of foods is one of the main reasons why children and adults are overweight. Food that contains excessive amounts of salt, sugar and saturated fat, defined as junk food, is particularly at fault. 49 50 51 52 Through the co-financed Fund, a total of 788,932,100 million euros is allotted, of which approximately 699 million euros is for food distribution for 2014–2020. About 10,000 local partner organizations distribute food aid throughout the country and reach 2.3 million people in severe poverty. Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, “Obesity and the economics of prevention: fit not fat – Italy key facts”. Laura Lauria and others, “Decline of childhood overweight and obesity in Italy from 2008 to 2016: results from 5 rounds of the population-based surveillance system” BMC Public Health, vol. 19, No. 618 (2019). Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, “Obesity and the economics of prevention: fit not fat – Italy key facts”. 15