Civil society steps in to fight rising obesity stat : euobserver

He adds that "civil society has stepped in to fill the breach, but it isn't enough." Within two and a half years, the school's Obesity rate dropped down to half of what the national obesity rate was for kids, says Wylie. In the absence of a coherent strategy, it's often civil society that steps in to try to deliver results in this crisis of global health. It's evident that civil society groups can work effectively, but ultimately there are blockages to real progress that need to be overcome, says EPHA's Pushkarev. EASO, which has organised an annual European Obesity Day since 2010, is focusing its efforts this year on getting obesity officially recognised by EU states as a chronic disease.




Up to a fifth of the deaths from cancers and 30 per cent of heart diseases can be traced back to obesity. In this regard, it is good that private interests, including manufacturers, sit on Dr Tufton's task force and have an input in its recommendations. But PHE projects something far more important: That the number of overweight children would fall by 20 per cent. Jamaica isn't the only country hoping to battle an epidemic of obesity, and associated lifestyle diseases, by promoting changes in consumption habits, especially towards sugary foods. Expressed another way, that would be nearly twice the amount of sugar that Jamaica has manufactured in recent years.


The reduction programme could see 200,000 tonnes of sugar removed from the UK market per year by 2020, according to PHE. Guidelines for how the food industry can reduce the sugar contained in its products has also been published, through modifying recipes, reducing portion sizes and encouraging the purchase of low/no sugar products. "Many companies have already taken impressive steps to rise to this challenge but it's important that everyone steps up. "Overweight and obese children are likely to carry this health problem into adulthood, increasing their risk of Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and some cancers," noted PHE's Chief Nutritionist, Dr Alison Tedstone. "Levels of obesity are higher in children from deprived backgrounds.


collected by :Lucy William

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