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World Obesity Day – marked every year on 4 March – is a World Obesity Federation initiative supporting practical solutions to help reverse obesity. A person is considered overweight by the World Health Organization if he or she has a body mass index (BMI) – calculated by dividing body weight by the square of height – equal to or greater than 25. Obesity is the condition of severe overweight where a person has a BMI equal to or greater than 30. Worryingly, obesity acts as a gateway to a range of diseases ...

This document summarises the presentations and discussion taking place at the workshop organised by Policy Department A on the limits and opportunities of the Cardiovascular Disease and Lifestyle, held at the European Parliament, in Brussels. The aim of the workshop was to inform the Members of the ENVI Committee and all participants on the relationship between cardiovascular and related diseases and a number of lifestyle choices in the context of the European Union, and to have an overview of the ...

Childhood obesity remains a considerable public health problem in the European Union (EU). While multiple factors play a role, the global increase in overweight children is mainly linked to a shift in diet towards foods that are high in fat, salt and sugar, paired with a decline in physical activity. Essentially, children today are growing up in an environment that is conducive to weight gain and obesity. Excess weight in children is associated with a number of serious health consequences. These ...

'Trans fats' or 'trans fatty acids' (TFAs) are a type of unsaturated fatty acids that have been widely used in the food industry since the 1950s. There is now broad scientific consensus that high consumption of trans fats significantly increases the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD), and may also be associated with increased risk of other cardiovascular diseases, obesity and type 2 diabetes. The main dietary source of industrial trans fats are partially hydrogenated vegetable oils. The World ...

This paper summarises the presentations and discussions of the Workshop ‘Eat for Health’ held at the European Parliament in Brussels on 13 October 2015. The aim of the workshop was to discuss the eating habits and trends in Europe as well as the options for policy makers, industry, professionals and citizens to promote a healthier diet. The importance of a healthy diet was underlined with scientific findings that observed an association between nutrition and many diseases, particularly obesity and ...

This report summarises the presentations and discussions at the Workshop on ‘Trans Fats’, held at the European Parliament in Brussels, on Tuesday, 5 November, 2013. The aim of the workshop was to discuss the risks posed by trans fats in human health and to exchange views on the existing solutions to this issue. The workshop was hosted by MEP Ms Glenis WILLMOTT (S&D, UK), Co-chair of the Health Working Group within the ENVI Committee.

Trans fats are found in commercial baked goods, fried foods, frozen foods, margarines, red meat and dairy products. There is a considerable body of scientific evidence that associates their ingestion with cardiovascular diseases, obesity, diabetes, blindness, cancer and others. In view of this evidence, measures have to be taken to reduce their intake. Policies that restrict and regulate their intake have been implemented in Denmark and Switzerland and some cities and states in the US have adopted ...