Brussels, 29/09/2008 (Agence Europe) - Excess weight, obesity and diet-related diseases were approaching epidemic proportions, said MEPs on Thursday 25 September in adopting the report by Alessandro Foglietta (UEN, Italy) by the overwhelming majority of 536 votes to 37, with 20 abstentions. Parliament recommended a multi-level, holistic approach to tackle obesity, and pointed out that there were many European research, health, education and life-long learning programmes that could help to tackle this scourge. MEPs called for better labeling of foodstuffs, improvements in the quality of food served in canteens, restrictions on advertising for unhealthy foods, and lower VAT rates on fruit and vegetables. While acknowledging the role played by recent industry initiatives, they noted that regulation was sometimes necessary to deliver substantial and meaningful change in the industry, particularly with respect to children. Parliament called for an EU-wide ban on artificial trans-fatty acids, stressing that the present state of scientific knowledge shows that excessive consumption of trans-fatty acids (over 2% of total energy intake) was linked to significantly higher cardiovascular risks. The resolution adopted by the EP deplored the fact that only a few European governments had taken steps to reduce consumers' exposure to these substances. (O.L./transl.rt)