The Challenge of Obesity in the WHO European Region and the Strategies for Response: Full Report (A EURO Publication)

In response to the obesity epidemic, the WHO Regional Office for Europe held a conference in November 2006, at which all Member States adopted the European Charter on Counteracting Obesity, which lists guiding principles and clear action areas at the local, regional, national, and international levels for a wide range of stakeholders. This book comprises the second of two publications resulting from the conference. It presents the many technical papers written for the conference and updated for publication by a large group of experts in public health, nutrition, and medicine. Using a wide range of evidence drawn from countries across and beyond the WHO European Region, this book illustrates the dynamics of the epidemic and its impact on public health throughout the Region, particularly in eastern countries. It describes how factors that increase the risk of obesity are shaped in different settings, such as the family, school, community, and workplace. It makes both ethical and economic arguments for accelerating action against obesity, and analyses effective programs and policies in different government sectors, such as education, health, agriculture and trade, urban planning and transport. The book also describes how to design policies and programs to prevent obesity and how to monitor progress. Finally, it calls for specific action by stakeholders: not only government sectors but also the private sector, including food manufacturers, advertisers, and traders, and professional consumers, international and intergovernmental organizations such as the European Union. It is time to act: 150 million adults and 15 million children in the Region are expected to be obese by 2010. Obesity not only harms the health and well-being of a vast proportion of the population, and generates large expenditures by health services, but also has a striking and unacceptable impact on children. This book uses evidence to spell out ideas and information that will enable stakeholders across the Region, particularly policy-makers, to work to stop and then reverse the obesity epidemic in Europe. Current Prevalence And Trends Of Overweight And Obesity -- Impact Of Obesity On Health -- Economic Consequences Of Obesity -- Physical Activity, Sedentary Behaviour, Physical Fitness And Obesity -- Dietary Determinants Of Obesity -- Effects Of Early Nutrition On Development Of Obesity -- Dietary Patterns In Europe -- Microenvironmental Determinants Of Dietary Patterns -- Macroenvironmental Determinants Of Food Consumption -- Promotional Marketing Of Food -- Macro- And Microenvironmental Determinants Of Physical Activity -- Socioeconomic Inequalities In Obesity In Europe : Issues And Policy Implications -- Actions And Policies To Prevent Obesity. Economic Instruments For Reducing Consumption Of Energy-dense Foods -- Actions And Policies To Promote Physical Activity -- Designing And Developing A Strategy To Prevent Obesity -- Preventing Obesity : Selecting The Best Investments -- Involving Different Stakeholders -- Monitoring And Evaluating Policies And Programmes -- National Policies In The European Region -- Implementing The Who Strategy On Diet, Physical Activity, And Health : Analysis Of Global Progress -- Effective Treatment : An Evidence Base For The Treatment Of Overweight And Obesity -- Obesity Policy : The Next Steps. Edited By Francesco Branca, Haik Nikogosian And Tim Lobstein. Includes Bibliographical References. Also Issued Online.