EU and US representatives launch joint bid to combat obesity

THE gap between obesity levels in the US and the EU is closing rapidly with campaigns encouraging people to eat healthily and exercise more having little effect.

Officials, representatives from the food and advertising industries and health promoters from both sides of the Atlantic got together in Brussels yesterday to discuss new strategies to tackle the problem.

A quarter of Europe’s children are obese and in danger of developing the diseases of old age such as type two diabetes. The number is growing by 400,000 a year. Between 10% and 27% of European men and between 10% and 32% of women are obese, with those living in the southern countries more likely to be heavier.

The figures are creeping towards US obesity averages of 28% for men and 34% average for women.

Health and Consumer Affairs Commissioner Markos Kyprianou said: “Europe’s obesity crisis is as severe as that of North America, with devastating public health and economic costs. A comprehensive strategy is needed to stem the rise in obesity, combining legislative and non-legislative initiatives.”

Ill-health as a result of overweight and obesity are costing taxpayers millions of euro a year and accounting for up to 7% of health care costs in the EU.

Experts debated whether messages promoting healthy eating can compete with the onslaught of food and drink marketing and how to get across messages such as “eat more fruit and veg and exercise more”.

The issue of labelling food products is being voted on in the European Parliament next week. The commission says health claims should be scientifically proven before companies make them. It would mean claims such as “fat free” could not be made if an item contained sugar.