EU policy and strategies to tackle childhood obesity

High Level Conference

"Healthy lifestyles: nutrition and physical activity for children and young people at schools"

Riga, Latvia, 23-24 February, 2015 Philippe Roux

Head of Unit DG for Health and Food safety

European Commission

OVERVIEW The current challenges

EU actions - where are we?

DG SANTE multidimensional approach

EC and EU approach

European Parliament

EU actions - what lies ahead?

•The current challenges

3

Obesity in children

Particularly worrisome

• 2010: 1 in 3 children 6-9 years overweight or obese

• 2008: 1 in 4

• WHO European Childhood Obesity

Surveillance Initiative, COSI, 2008, 2010

suffer the most from nutrition problems (bullying, worse school performance; early diabetes, lower life expectation)

have the least control over diet or physical activity (yet, will be highly likely to remain overweight/obese into adulthood)

are more vulnerable to peer pressure and aggressive marketing

4

Physical (in)activity in children

• 2012: only 1 in 5 children take part in regular moderate-to-vigorous exercise

• OECD, Health at a Glance Europe

2012

physical activity drops during early teenage years (especially for girls) in most Member States; associated with lower socioeconomic status

screen time and sedentary behaviour are independent risk factors

screen time is associated with exposure to advertising of products high in salt, fat and sugar, consumption of sugar sweetened beverages, and passive overconsumption

5

Social and economic burden

Overweight/obesity directly affect quality and expectancy of life

associated with diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease

Lost productivity and premature death

2.8 million deaths per year from causes associated with overweight and obesity

Pressure on health care systems

7% of EU health budgets spent on diseases linked to obesity

Each 10% rise in NCDs associated with 0.5% lower economic growth

6

Health inequalities

There is a strong gradient in child overweight and obesity by socioeconomic status

Socioeconomic inequalities in obesity are widening and the gradient is becoming steeper

Women and children in low socioeconomic groups are most vulnerable

Data break down by social group are needed

Appropriate policies should be tailored to different needs and abilities in a range of settings 7

•EU actions - where are we?

8

DG SANTE a multidimensional approach

EU PLATFORM

for Action on Diet, Physical

Activity and Health

HIGH LEVEL GROUP

on Nutrition and Physical

Activity

EU Strategy on Nutrition, Overweight and Obesity-related Health Issues - 2

EU Strategy on Nutrition, Overweight and Obesity-related Health Issues 2007

MEMBER STATES CIVIL SOCIETY

encourage action-orientated partnership

EUROPEAN COMMISSION

EU Strategy on Nutrition, Overweight and Obesity-related Health Issues 2007

√ Promotes balanced diet and active lifestyle

•√ Nutrition and physical activity together

•√ CHILDREN AS PRIORITY GROUP

•√ Reducing inequalities as horizontal concern

11

High Level Group

28 Member States + Norway, Switzerland + WHO

sharing policy ideas, practice and solutions

EU Frameworks for National Initiatives on Salt and on Selected Nutrients

Focus on children and young people

2014 ACTION PLAN ON CHILDHOOD OBESITY

HLG voluntary initiative; involvement of WHO in the monitoring mechanism

- 2015 JOINT ACTION ON NUTRITION AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

- European Commission support

12

EU Platform

Cooperation with civil society

Voluntary approach

33 members (industry, NGO, health professionals)

Over 300 commitments

Since 2005

From newsletters targeting expert audiences to a food and beverage industry pledge not to advertise to children under twelve

13

Example of a Platform commitment

● led by the World Federation of Advertisers

● no advertising to children < 12 or primary schools

• ● +80% of EU food and beverage advertising expenditure

• Outcomes:

• √ companies’ overall compliance: 98%

• √ since 2005 children have been exposed to 31% less TV ads for EU pledge products; they have seen 47% less ads for products that do not meet the nutrition criteria and 82% less for products not meeting the criteria in and around children’s programmes

• √ The Pledge also covers online marketing (third-party online advertising and brand websites)

14

Third Health Programme (2014-2020)

€ 450 million

Health Programme

Promote health, prevent disease and foster supportive environments for healthy lifestyles CHAFEA 11 ongoing projects on nutrition and physical activity Joint Action on nutrition and physical activity

15

An EC and EU joint approach

Cklm

School year 2011/2012:

SFS - more than 55,000 schools and 8 million children

SMS - 20 million of participating children and 385,000 tons of milk equivalent products distributed

EU-wide School Fruit and Vegetables and School Milk

Schemes

to establish healthier eating habits among school children

New proposal

strengthen the educational dimension

The School Fruit Scheme can support initiatives to

educate children on: - agriculture

- healthy eating habits - environmental matters

DG AGRI

17

DG EAC

Promotion of

SPORT and HEPA

in children and young

people 2013 Council

Recommendation on promoting HEPA

across sectors

Erasmus + 2014-2020 framework program for education,

training, youth and sport

new EU Work Plan for Sport 2014-2017 First

European Week of Sport

September 2015 18

DG RTD

Tackling the

CHRONIC

DISEASE

Challenges

Research opportunities

under

Horizon 2020

on obesity, nutrition and

physical activity

Optimal circulation, access to

and transfer of scientific

knowledge

Optimal transnational

cooperation and

competition

An open labour

market for researchers

19

DG Connect

Reducing children's

exposure to food and drink marketing

AUDIOVISUAL MEDIA SERVICES

DIRECTIVE

Codes of

conduct limiting

the marketing of

foods high in fat, salt and sugars

in/near children’s programmes

Healthy Environment

for

Children

20

Joint Research Centre

• JRC supports the EU Platform and the High Level Group with updates on nutrition, obesity and physical activity

• Guidelines on school meals mapping

21/25

European Parliament

4 Pilot projects

2 aim to increase consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables in communities where the household income is below 50% of the EU average (Romania, Bulgaria Slovakia, Poland and Hungary)

1 promotes healthy diets among children, pregnant women and elderly (7 cities in Spain, France, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Romania, Poland and Slovakia)

1 promotes healthy diets among pregnant and lactating women of vulnerable groups (5 cities in Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Spain, United Kingdom) 22

EU actions – what lies ahead?

23

Ahead

A EU comprehensive approach to fit the complexity of the issue

Promoting research, keep tracking of trends and tendencies

Emphasis on reformulation, vulnerable groups and children

Coordination and support to Member States

Monitoring

Action Plan on Childhood Obesity

Joint Action on Nutrition and Physical Activity

24

Thank you!

25

Obesity and inequalities

"Guidance for addressing inequities in overweight and obesity"

WHO/EC 2014

Link: http://ec.europa.eu/health/social_determinants/docs/policybrief_obesity_en.pdf

26

Action Plan on Childhood Obesity 8 key areas

27

CAP CHILDHOOD OBESITY BY

2020

Increase research

Restrict marketing and advertising to

children

Make the healthy option the easier option

Support a healthy

start in life

Inform and

empower

families

Encourage children to be more physically active

Promote healthier environments, especially in

schools

Monitor and evaluate

Joint Action on Nutrition and Physical Activity 2015

2 years + 6 months for dissemination

25 Member States

Objectives

Summarising evidence so that policy-makers act

Deliverables that support EU implementation of recommendations or guidelines

28

EU Platform: commitments in 6 areas

Consumer information, including labelling

Education, including lifestyle change

Physical activity promotion

Marketing and

advertising

Composition of foods

(reformulation)

Advocacy and information exchange

In line with 2007 Strategy

29