Press Release: Tackling Childhood Obesity: European Day of Healthy Food and Cooking

EU Health Commissioner Markos Kyprianou launched on 8 November 2007 the 'European Day of Healthy Food and Cooking', which aims to encourage healthy eating amongst children, with a view to tackling the rising childhood obesity levels in Europe. Across 14 Member States, EU officials, top chefs and school children are coming together for demonstrations on how to cook healthy, tasty food and workshops to promote a balanced lifestyle. Commissioner Kyprianou attended interactive cooking lessons at a European school in Brussels, where 4 professional chefs explained the benefits of eating well to 60 children. EU Agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fischer-Boel also visited a school in Copenhagen with a leading Danish chef. With around 22 million overweight or obese children in the EU today, the aim is to instil an interest in children in the food that they eat and to make them aware of the basic principles of good nutrition. The European Healthy Food and Cooking Day was co-organised by the European Commission and the European Chefs' Association (Euro-toques).

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