At a societal level, the European Union is the heaviest-drinking region in the world, with over one fifth of the European population aged 15 years and above reporting heavy episodic drinking (five or more drinks on an occasion, or 60g alcohol) at least once a week. Heavy episodic drinking is widespread across all ages and all of Europe, and not only among young people or those from northern Europe.<ref>[http://www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/disease-prevention/alcohol-use/data-and-statistics World Health Organization's (WHO) regional office in Europe- Alcohol usage of Europe]</ref>}}
== Atheism, obesity, secular Europe and falling rates of intelligence ==
[[File:Human brain.png|right|thumb|200px|Medical research indicates that excess weight impairs brain function.<ref>
*[http://psychnews.psychiatryonline.org/newsarticle.aspx?articleid=110328 Obesity Linked to Changes In Cognitive Patterns], Psychiatric News, Joan Arehart-Treichel, Clinical and Research News, September 15, 2006
*[http://health.usnews.com/health-news/family-health/brain-and-behavior/articles/2009/08/25/as-waistlines-widen-brains-shrink.html As Waistlines Widen, Brains Shrink: The obese and overweight have less neurological tissue, study finds], U.S News & World Report August 25, 2009]
*[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21167850 Western diet consumption and cognitive impairment: links to hippocampal dysfunction and obesity, Physiol Behav. 2011 Apr 18;103(1):59-68. Epub 2010 Dec 16.
*[http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100714112832.htm Obesity Harms Women's Memory and Brain Function, Study Finds], Science Daily, July 15, 2010</ref> ]]
Medical research indicates that excess weight impairs brain function.<ref>
*[http://psychnews.psychiatryonline.org/newsarticle.aspx?articleid=110328 Obesity Linked to Changes In Cognitive Patterns], Psychiatric News, Joan Arehart-Treichel, Clinical and Research News, September 15, 2006
*[http://health.usnews.com/health-news/family-health/brain-and-behavior/articles/2009/08/25/as-waistlines-widen-brains-shrink.html As Waistlines Widen, Brains Shrink: The obese and overweight have less neurological tissue, study finds, U.S News & World Report August 25, 2009]
*[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21167850 Western diet consumption and cognitive impairment: links to hippocampal dysfunction and obesity], Physiol Behav. 2011 Apr 18;103(1):59-68. Epub 2010 Dec 16.
*[http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100714112832.htm Obesity Harms Women's Memory and Brain Function, Study Finds], Science Daily, July 15, 2010</ref>
From a global perspective, [[Europe]] is more secular/[[Atheism|atheistic]] than the rest of the world although it does have a considerable amount of religious immigrants who have higher birth rates (see: [[Atheist population|Atheist population]] and [[Global atheism]]).
The [[World Health Organization]] (WHO) recently reported:
{{cquote|Based on the latest estimates in [[Europe]]an Union countries, overweight affects 30-70% and obesity affects 10-30% of adults.
Estimates of the number of overweight infants and children in the WHO European Region rose steadily from 1990 to 2008. Over 60% of children who are overweight before puberty will be overweight in early adulthood.<ref>[http://www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/noncommunicable-diseases/obesity/data-and-statistics World Health Organization - Regional Office for Europe - The challenge of obesity - quick statistics]</ref>}}
Many regions of [[secular Europe]] have obesity problems which are growing in severity and falling rates of intelligence (See: [[Atheism, obesity, secular countries and falling rates of intelligence]]).
For more information, please see:
*[[Atheism and obesity]]
*[[Atheism, intelligence and obesity]]
*[[Secular Europe and obesity]]
=== PZ Myers' ironic speech at the 2010 Global Atheist Convention ===
At the 2010 Global atheist Convention, an overweight PZ Myers likened belief in God to a brain infection plus made the blanket statement that religion makes people stupid and/or do stupid stupid things.<ref>
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfXbnygJirc PZ Myers - Global Atheist Convention 2010]</ref> As noted above, according to [[medical science]], being overweight causes brain impairment.<ref>
*[http://psychnews.psychiatryonline.org/newsarticle.aspx?articleid=110328 Obesity Linked to Changes In Cognitive Patterns], Psychiatric News, Joan Arehart-Treichel, Clinical and Research News, September 15, 2006
*[http://health.usnews.com/health-news/family-health/brain-and-behavior/articles/2009/08/25/as-waistlines-widen-brains-shrink.html As Waistlines Widen, Brains Shrink: The obese and overweight have less neurological tissue, study finds], U.S News & World Report August 25, 2009
*[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21167850 Western diet consumption and cognitive impairment: links to hippocampal dysfunction and obesity], Physiol Behav. 2011 Apr 18;103(1):59-68. Epub 2010 Dec 16.
*[http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100714112832.htm Obesity Harms Women's Memory and Brain Function, Study Finds], Science Daily, July 15, 2010
*[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/instance/2568718/ Mental health, family function and obesity in African-American women], J Natl Med Assoc. 2005 April; 97(4): 478–482.
</ref> See also: [[New Atheism leadership's problem with excess weight]]
== Atheism, naturalism and reason ==
