EU population: 50% overweight

HALF of the population in most EU countries is now overweight or obese while an increasing number of children are dangerously heavy.

But proposals by the European Commission to tackle the problem were criticised as being totally inadequate by consumer groups yesterday who described the white paper as being more like a blank paper.

An estimated three million schoolchildren are now obese and this is increasing by about 85,000 a year. Obesity levels have trebled in the last 25 years, according to the World Health Organisation.

People are eating around 300 more calories a day than they did 30 years ago and consuming more fat, while one-in-three never exercise.

The food industry is to be given another three years to change the way it promote unhealthy food to children and there is to be another review of nutritional labelling.

Health Commissioner Markus Kyprianou said he believed the most important thing was to get children back to playing sports. “I have heard of them playing basketball on their computers — we need to get them actually playing the game,” he said.

The rise of obesity makes improving the diets and physical activity levels a top public health priority for the EU in the years ahead.

“If we don’t act, today’s overweight children will be tomorrow’s heart attack victims. What consumers eat is up to them, but they should be able to make informed choices, and have a range of healthy options to choose from. That is why the Commission is reviewing the options for nutrition labelling, and calling on industry to advertise responsibly and reduce levels of salt, fats and sugar in food products.”

“I am confident from the evidence we have seen that the food industry will shape up,” he said, but added that he could not exclude the possibility of introducing legislation after 2010.

Jim Murray, head of BEUC, Europe’s consumer organisation, was critical of the white paper describing it as an unambitious and minimalist response.

He urged the Commission to bring forward a simplified nutritional labelling system at the very least.

“In terms of practical effects, it is more like a blank paper than a white paper. The white paper is built on false hopes and unrealistic expectations,” he said.