European Commission calls on Europe to "take on obesity"

At the recent joint World Health Organisation (WHO)/UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) meeting in Geneva to debate a global strategy on diet, physical activity and health, the European Commission called on Europe to "take on obesity". Welcoming the WHO / FAO strategy as giving impetus to the fight against expanding waistlines, Health and Consumer Protection Commissioner David Byrne warned that "obesity may be to the 21st century what smoking was to the 20th century". The European Commission has proposed a new EU law on health and nutritional claims on food to improve the quality of information given to consumers. "The WHO/FAO strategy is a call to arms. Unhealthy, unbalanced diets and sedentary lifestyles are creating a time bomb for the future. Left unchecked, rising obesity will shorten life spans and drain public resources in the future," said David Byrne. "About 20-30 percent of Europeans are overweight or obese. If current trends continue, it may not be long before a majority of Europeans are classed as overweight. Governments, the food industry, NGOs and consumers need to work together to shape a healthier future."