Beating obesity: EC challenges society to change
properly tackled, claims the European commissioner for public
health.
Speaking at the WHO Conference on Obesity in Istanbul this week, Markos Kyprianou, European commissioner for health and consumer protection, said that obesity and overweight was now a priority issue within the EC.
"I speak particularly for the 25 Member States of the European Union," he said. "These countries have some of the highest obesity rates in the WHO European region, particularly among men, with alarming rates also among children."
Kyprianou said that he was particularly concerned about the impact that obesity was having on young people. "There will be long-term ramifications for our productivity and economic health."
To tackle this ticking time bomb will not be easy. "What we are seeking to do is nothing short of behaviour change across the entire population," he said.
"From my perspective, what comes across is the need to introduce changes throughout society: across different sectors such as education, transport, agriculture and health, and at different levels from the local to the national picture."
Kyprianou said that the nature of the problem therefore called for the development of effective partnerships. In December 2005 the Commission launched a public consultation through a Green Paper to identify stakeholder views across the European Union.
The results of this exercise, published in September 2006, is a major step towards the development of the White Paper on nutrition and physical activity.
"We have been working to improve regulation in this area to assist individuals to make healthy decisions when purchasing food," said Kyprianou.
"For example, from the base of our body of food law competence, the Community adopted last month a directive on health claims which places strong restrictions on how companies can market their products."
Kyprianou said that the EC has also been working to develop stakeholder partnerships. In March 2005, the EU Platform on Diet, Physical Activity and Health was launched as an innovation to allow stakeholders at European level from across society to explore common approaches to tackling diet and physical activity. This was a major talking point at the CIAA's Congress in Brussels last month.
"Over 140 commitments have now been made by Members of the Platform. The challenge for the Platform now is to monitor these commitments."
Finally, Kyprianou talked about the EC's intention to adopt a White Paper in Nutrition and Physical Activity next year. The White Paper is an attempt to bring together community level actions.
These include reflections on the appropriate response from the community's competence in food law, particularly in the area of food labelling and food advertising. It will also include reflections on how to encourage and promote a higher consumption of fruit and vegetables in Europe in the framework of the common agricultural policy.
"The development of the next steps for Europe in tackling these issues takes place in an uncertain, and fast changing, environment," said Kyprianou. "Obesity prevalence rates are rising fast.
"I believe that these initiatives combined with the important reforms now taking place in some Member States will have a powerful effect across the region as a whole."
