What next for European action on childhood obesity?

Childhood obesity is a major health problem in Europe, with dire long-term consequences for our health, society, and economy. Current trends indicate that there will be over 10m children in the region affected by obesity in 2030. At the same time, there are now ample opportunities to halt and reverse current obesity trends. From Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan to the Farm to Fork Strategy and the upcoming Child Guarantee: European policy provides many entry points for action.

The flagship Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan explicitly recognises obesity as an important risk factor for cancer. It stipulates that addressing obesity should start at an early age. The Plan furthermore commits to evaluate and follow-up on the EU Action Plan on Childhood Obesity, which expired in 2020. But which approaches should be prioritised, and which interventions work best?

This interactive debate is organised in framework of the STOP Childhood Obesity Project, funded in 2018 by the EU Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, which seeks to come with lasting, evidence-based solutions to tackle childhood obesity.

If you are a public health professional, academic or policy-maker who would like to contribute to the debate, join us for this important discussion – key points from the event will be presented to the European Commission as input into a next version of the EU childhood obesity action plan.