In Strasbourg on Thursday, 12 March, the European Parliament emphasised the various aspects of fighting obesity (e.g., prevention, nutritional education, physical activity, and access to treatment).
Tomislav Sokol (EPP, Croatian) called for measures to promote the Mediterranean diet as well as introduce clear, visible labelling in order to inform consumers of products’ nutritional quality.
Romana Jerković (S&D, Croatian) stressed the importance of better educating citizens about environmental factors that foster obesity, including aggressive advertising in supermarkets. For Laurent Castillo (PfE, French), treating obesity also means improving mental health and fighting diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and certain forms of cancer.
“We cannot wait for drugs like Ozempic to solve the problem for everyone. Access to medication for obesity should be reserved for those who actually need it for medical reasons,” warned Tilly Metz (Greens/EFA, Luxembourgish). Giuseppe Lupo (S&D, Italian) added, “Europe needs to invest in building sports facilities that are freely accessible to all.”
By way of reminder, Commissioner for Climate Wopke Hoekstra pointed out that in Europe, more than half of adults are overweight and that 30% of the younger generation is overweight or obese. The European Commission has presented an EU cardiovascular health plan and initiated a study on the impact of ultra-processed foods. It is also legislating through the Biotech Act and the European Health Data Space. With the Critical Medicines Act, the European Commission intends to ensure better access to treatment in all Member States (see EUROPE 13773/7). (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)