Prevention of Childhood ObesityJoining forces…

Caroline Bollars

Technical Officer, Nutrition PolicyNutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity

World Health Organization - Regional Office for Europe

World Health Organization, Regional Office for Europe

3

Burden of disease by broad cause group and region, 2004

WHO/EUROPE: mandate for action

Policy framework• Individuals alone are not responsible -

changing the social, economic and physical environment

• Responsibility of government across sectors

• Involvement of all stakeholders

• Portfolio of interventions designed to change the social, economic and physical environment

• Portfolio of policy tools (from legislation to public/private partnerships)

• International coordination

• Special focus on children and on disadvantaged socioeconomic population groups

Action Plan for the Implementation of the European Strategy for the

Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases

2012-2016WHO/Europe

RC; Baku 2011

What are we going to do?

Health Promotion

HQ and EURO policy frameworks/strategies endorsed by Member States (Nutrition)

• Global– 2004: WHO Global

Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health

– 2003: Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding

• Regional– 2007: WHO European

Action Plan for Food and Nutrition Policy 2007-2012

– 2006: European Charter on Counteracting Obesity

– 2005: European Strategy for Child and Adolescent Health and DevelopmentEuropean framework to promote physical activity for health (this framework has not been officially endorsed by MS at a RC)

Creating Platform for Action together…

• Overweight still a big public health challenge, particularly in low socioeconomic groups.

• 47 Member States (90%) developed a national policy in the area of food, nutrition and/or obesity.

• Six action networks were established to facilitate implementation of the European Action Plan: Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative (COSI) salt intake reduction in the population marketing of foods and beverages to children Nutrition-Friendly Schools Initiative (NFSI) hospital nutrition obesity and inequalities

.

European database on nutrition, obesity and physical activity (NOPA)

Food Based Dietary Guidelines

Guidelines Physical Activity

Subsidized School Fruit Scheme

School Vending Machines

Promote Active Travel

Initiatives to reduce Salt

Increase healthier processed foods

Measures to affect food prices

Legislation labelling energy

Signposting Food Products

Regulation Marketing

Baby Friendly Hospital

Promotion Breastfeeding

Overview Policy Actions Implementation 27 EU MS

No Action

Partly Implemented

Fully Implemented

EU Member States

Po

licy

Act

ion

s

Action Networks

• European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative;

• NFSI – Nutrition Friendly Schools Initiative;

• ESAN – European Salt Action Network;

• Marketing Food to Children Action Network;

• Hospital Nutrition;

• Obesity & Inequalities.

WHO European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative

Overweight among European school children

 

Prevalence of overweight and obesity among 6–9-year-old children

in twelve European countries

Prevalence of overweight, incl. obesityBased on the 2007 WHO growth reference for children and adolescents 5-19 years

Source: WHO, 2010

50

40

30

20

10

0

Pre

vale

nc

e (

%)

Countries

9-year-olds

8-year-olds

7-year-olds

6-year-olds

Belgium Bulgaria Ireland Italy Latvia Lithuania Norway Portugal Slovenia Sweden

What are the critical factor for success?

• Intersectoral;

• Community development and involvement;

• win-win situations with the other sectors like agriculture and health – F&V;

• Ownership;

• High level endorsement and commitment;

• Resources allocated;

• Evaluation and reporting;

• Better use of the networks;

• Monitoring and evaluation;

• Health sector capacity development;

• Links with other policies (rural dev; poverty reduction, etc.)

• Leadership.

How best to respond?

• “We need a whole of government and a whole of society response”

• Margaret Chan, director general, WHO

www.who.int or www.euro.who.int