Obesity: an European epidemic

Obesity and weight problems are some of the most serious health challenges facing today's European Union. Across the EU, 14 million children are estimated to be overweight and a further three million classed as obese. In some states already half of the adult population are overweight and between 20 to 30 percent of them are obese. A Parliamentary report to be voted on in February calls obesity a 'European epidemic' and proposes better information on food, more education about food, healthy school dinners and more sports as possible solutions.

In February MEP will be voting on an own-initiative report by Belgian Liberal MEP Frédérique Ries. This report, entitled 'Promoting healthy diets and physical activity' recommends that all countries take the following steps:

• Recognise obesity officially as a chronic disease to prevent discrimination.
• Inform people from an early age the effects of a poor diet.
• Ensure that schools have sports facilities. 
• Provide funding to enable schools to provide healthy meals instead of tradition fatty foods.

It also calls on the EU's executive; the European commission to push for rules to end the promotion of fatty; salty; sugary food to children.
 
Prompted by the alarming rise in health the European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection Markos Kyprianou launched an EU Platform for 'Action on Diet, Physical Activity and Health'. That same year the Commission also launched a Green paper how to reduce obesity levels and the prevalence of associated chronic diseases in the EU.
 
Nutrition, physical activity and obesity are key priorities in the EU public health policy, including its action programme for public health (2003-2008).