Luxembourg, 20/06/2014 (Agence Europe) - In Luxembourg on Friday 20 June, the Health Council adopted conclusions on nutrition and physical activity. The text adopted takes stock of the current situation, in which more than half of the adult population of the European Union is overweight or obese. It notes that up to 10% of the EU health budgets are directly spent every year on diseases related to obesity and laments the low level of consumption of fruit and vegetables, and the high consumption of saturated fat, trans fats, salt and sugar. It also notes the increasingly sedentary lives of Europeans. The Council suggests several measures to be taken to promote healthy eating and physical exercise in order to reduce the burden represented by chronic and non-transmissible diseases related to excess weight (coronary artery disease, diabetes, high blood pressure). For example, it calls upon the member states and the Commission to encourage the implementation of national action plans for diet and nutrition and to promote initiatives to limit the exposure of children to advertisements for foods high in saturated fat, trans fats, added sugar and salt and the sales and promotion of these items. (IL)