Obesity platform aims to get fatty diets off the menu

The EU Platform for Action on Diet, Physical Activity and Health is perhaps the most high-profile health project managed by the European Commission, under Health Commissioner Markos Kyprianou.

More commonly known as ‘the obesity platform’, it was launched by the Commission in March 2005.

Its 33 member groups include the food and drink industry, public health lobbyists, hotel and restaurant representatives, advertising companies and medical doctors. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), World Health Organization, national governments and MEPs are represented on the platform as observers. Members meet every two months.

The obesity platform aims to develop voluntary initiatives that encourage healthy lifestyles, as an alternative to legislation.

More than 200 commitments agreed so far by platform members include: education programmes to teach schoolchildren about exercise and low-fat diets, the simplification of nutritional information on packaging, and a reduction of the fat, sugar and salt content of some existing products.

A white paper from the Commission setting out an EU strategy to tackle the issues covered by the obesity platform is to be published next Wednesday (30 May).

The obesity platform will be followed this year by an ‘alcohol and health forum’, encouraging similar voluntary initiatives to tackle problems including alcoholism and drink driving.

The EU Platform for Action on Diet, Physical Activity and Health is perhaps the most high-profile health project managed by the European Commission, under Health Commissioner Markos Kyprianou.