About: obesity
Bad eating generates huge costs to society, experts warn
The EU should not lower the guard on non-communicable dietary-related diseases such as obesity and diabetes, as they have a relevant economic impact on citizens' daily life, according to food and nutrition experts.
23 million people fall ill every year because of contaminated foods
Despite tight control networks, foods contaminated with pathogens continue to be regularly sold in the EU and their effects on health can be deadly. Consumer protectors are therefore requesting greater transparency and a rethink of what is considered 'healthy'. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Could obesity be a predictor of the next political mayhem?
Unexpected political upheavals such as Brexit or Trump's election could have been foreseen if the obesity rate has been taken into consideration as a socio-economical marker, a nutrition expert provocatively said in this year’s European Congress on Obesity in Glasgow.
Tackling obesity: The difficult task of finding the right policies
Obesity affects at least one in six adults and one in eight children aged 7-8 across EU countries, putting pressure on policymakers to fight the crisis and nudge behavioural changes in citizens' lifestyles.
European Commission urged to deliver on new EDCs strategy
MEPs and civil society representatives urged the European Commission on 24 May to act soon on defining a new strategy following the rejection by the European Parliament last autumn of its endocrine disruptor chemicals (EDC) definition.
Andriukaitis: National health systems need ‘fundamental reform’
EU countries could save money and lives by increasing investment in disease prevention and health promotion, the European Commission said on Thursday (23 November), stressing that good health policy requires political will across all sectors.
FAO boss: Half of world’s population will be malnourished by 2030
More than a half of the global population will suffer some form of malnutrition by 2030 unless urgent action is taken to improve access to high-quality food, the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has told G7 health ministers.
What are you drinking?
A can of soup, a carton of juice, a bottle of wine.When shopping for any of the above, it stands to reason that you could turn to the calories or inspect the ingredients. As you’d imagine, food and drink producers are obliged to label their produces’ ingredients and calorie content. Wine, however, is exempt.
Making Europe digitally fit
Time is at a premium and many people simply don’t have enough of it to shop, cook and eat healthily. How can new technologies induce change in the eating habits of workers?
Policymakers push for healthy eating choices at lunchtime
It can be easy to make the wrong food choices during your lunch break. But policymakers are trying to make lunchtime a more satisfying, healthy experience for employees.
New law on weightloss products could escalate obesity in Europe
New EU regulation on total diet replacement will take effect by early October, after MEPs voted in September to increase the protein and fat requirements in meal replacements, but the industry has warned that it may be ineffective and further aggravate the problem of obesity.
Manufacturers to withdraw soft drinks from EU schools from 2018
Europe’s soft drinks industry has announced it will stop selling sugary beverages in all schools in the European Union from late 2018. Health campaigners have welcomed the move but said more needs to be done to promote healthy eating in schools.
‘Traffic light’ food labels gain momentum across Europe
A UK scheme that labels pre-packed food in red, amber or green according to their level of healthiness was rejected by Mediterranean countries at EU level but is slowly gaining momentum across Europe.
Retailers fear tobacco-style restrictions on food and drinks
Governments across Europe have applied ever-more restrictive measures to the sale of food and drinks as a way of fighting obesity – a regulatory proliferation that is making retailers worried about new barriers to the EU’s single market.
Regulating consumers?
Over the years, sales and marketing restrictions have piled up on food, drinks and alcohol products. Some are now beginning to worry about a “slippery slope” where tobacco-style regulations – and taxation – are being applied to a whole range of consumer products in the name of public health objectives.
Consumer group wants to kill cartoons on ‘unhealthy’ food for children
The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) urged food companies on Wednesday (14 June) to stop using cartoon characters to promote unhealthy foods for children, saying they negatively affect their dietary behaviour.
Finland, UK and Ireland singled out in 2017 ‘Nanny State Index’
Usually praised by the EU for its highly competitive economy, Finland came under attack by a group of free-market think tanks on Wednesday (10 May) for pushing “paternalistic lifestyle policies” aimed at curbing consumption of tobacco, alcohol and sugary drinks.
Study: Biking to work lowers risks of cancer and heart disease
Riding a bicycle to work reduces the risk of heart disease and cancer, according to a new UK study carried out by Glasgow researchers.
Commission grants industry additional year to propose alcohol labelling information
Following a two-year delay, the European Commission presented its proposal on alcohol information on Monday (13 March), giving the alcoholic beverages industry an additional year to come up with a “self-regulatory” proposal.
EU urges member states to target childhood obesity in schools
Faced with alarming childhood obesity cases, the European Commission is calling on member states to take action in the procurement of healthy food for schools.
Families cannot tackle childhood obesity alone, EU study says
The family environment is not able to overcome childhood obesity without governmental support, a new report has found.
Poverty and tobacco carry similar health risks, study finds
People on the bottom rung of the socioeconomic ladder may live two years less on average than those at the top, according to a large-scale study published Wednesday (31 January) in the British journal The Lancet.
Neurological study: Mediterranean diet helps brain health
Older people who don’t follow a “Mediterranean diet” are more likely to have a higher loss of total brain volume over time, new scientific research has found.