OBESITY

1. OBESITY

2. OBESITY • Prevalence –European trend is alarming • Half of the adults present pre-obesity or obesity • One third of the children present overweight /obesity • in the Southern European Countries • Obesity is associated with diabetes and cardiovascular • diseases. Precoce morbility have a great economic cost • to the society

3. OBESITY • Global epidemic situation is a result of the developing • pattern – cheaper energy- dense food and sedentary • life • Inequalities: different from one European country to • another. Greater in the social class of lower income • Obesity is an economic, social, cultural and political • question • We hope from Europe an economic, social, cultural and • political response

4. STRATEGIES ON OBESITY • WHO landmarks last 10 years • Visions for universal prevention Lauren Lissner Sahlgrenska Academy at Göteborg University

5. Obesity: Preventing and Managing the Global Epidemic WHO consultation, 1997, Geneva WHO Technical Report Series 894, 2000

6. The WHO/FAO Expert Report on Diet, Nutrition and the Prevention of Chronic DiseasesTR 916Published 23 April 03 in Rome

7. and most recently, • Held in Istanbul 15 -17 November 2006, hosted by Turkish government • Organized by WHO Regional Office for Europe in collaboration with EC • Adoptation of European Charter on Counteracting Obesity

8. Prevention of Obesity • Different levels of prevention, from universal to targeted • approaches • Evidence on how to achieve primary prevention is scarce • (cite Cochrane review of prevention in children) • A few quick examples from literature • Singapore Trim and Fit, New Orleans policemen • New European trial: Idefics • Encouraging trends in Sweden??? • Levelling off of childhood obesity trends, BUT • Evidence of increasing social inequalities • How to move on?

9. Influence of food advertising on children’s obesity • UFC-Que Choisir’s studies demonstrate the influence of  TV advertising on children food preferences and food behaviour: the 30% of children who are most exposed to advertising are also the ones who most pressurize their parents to buy food products and who eat the food products highest in fat and sugar. These results can be explained by the fact that 89 % of TV advertisements for children concerns products that are too high in fat, sugar or salt S. Pradelle

10. Influence of food advertising on children’s obesity • This calls for the introduction of an advertising framework during children’s programs. But self –regulation is not the solution: the observation of these self defined directives show that they concentrate on minor aspects, without preventing the marketing of unhealthy food to children. Regulation can only enforce the recommendations that experts have been asking for so long: the banning of unhealthy food advertising during children programs S. Pradelle

11. Epidemiology and risk factors on children obesity • Having screening measurements of all the pre-puberty subjects at the school level using two measurements: Body Mass Index and waist circumference: • - In this way we could follow at school level all the • subjects and refer to the family doctors the • subjects that are at risk. • - Body mass index will give you an idea of adiposity • and waist circumference will give a regional (i.e., • abdominal) measurement of the risk for metabolic • syndrome. Angelo Pietrobelli

12. Epidemiology and risk factors on children obesity • Schoolsand media involvement in a global campaign, with specific peculiarities at local level (i.e., each region will develop their own plan) regarding the risk of excess of adiposity: • - we need to explain the risk factors • - we need to show the cost for treatment • - we need to underline the reduction in life expectancy Angelo Pietrobelli

13. Obesity and Sedentary Life Physical activity and built environment Fiona Bull