The disturbing trend of rising obesity rates must be stopped, said the European Parliament’s Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee (ENVI) in a new report giving suggestions on how to approach the problem.
The ENVI Committee adopted an own-initiative report on obesity by MEP Alessandro Foglietta, unanimously.
Obesity has great costs on both quality of life and the economy. It already accounts, directly, for about 6% of health spending but the indirect costs are much higher, says the report
The report included recommendations for an earlier start to prevent obesity and tools for prevention such as:
– Clearer food labelling
– Better food in schools and kindergartens
– School curricula emphasizing physical activity and healthy dietary habits – Restrictions on advertising unhealthy food to children
– Ban on artificial trans-fatty acids
– VAT reductions for fruit and vegetables.
Targeting childhood obesity is emphasised in the report as it correlates strongly with obesity in adults and early prevention is therefore crucial. The report also stressed that both industry and the European Commission should make fighting obesity their priority. It called on the Commission and member states for more funding of research into the links between obesity and chronic diseases.
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For more information
The European Parliament’s Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee
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