EU healthcare: The question of whether self-regulation by the food industry is sufficient to limit advertising and marketing of unhealthy foods will be examined by the European Commission, which has published a discussion document on tackling the obesity epidemic.
Some 14 million EU citizens are overweight or obese, of which more than three million are children, the commission says.
It estimates that obesity counts for up to 7 per cent of healthcare costs in the European Union. In Ireland, the cost of treating obesity and related illnesses such as diabetes and heart problems was estimated at €70 million in 2002. A total of 39 per cent of Irish adults are overweight and 18 per cent are obese, the National Taskforce on Obesity found earlier this year.
The EU has published a green paper on promoting healthy diets and physical activity and a consultation process will take place between now and next March. Contributions will be analysed and the results will be published on the commission's website by June 2006.
EU Health and Consumer Protection Commissioner Markos Kyprianou said the rise in obesity required a co-ordinated, Europe-wide approach in order to contain and reverse the obesity trend.
"More than 400,000 children are estimated to become overweight every year, and today's overweight teenagers are tomorrow's heart attack or diabetes victims. The commission's Green Paper aims to stimulate discussion about effective initiatives to promote healthy diets and physical activity, so best practice can be replicated across Europe.
"Apart from the health benefits and cost savings to be made from tackling obesity, a co-ordinated European approach will also ensure that the single market is not undermined by the emergence of a patchwork of unco-ordinated national measures."