On 1 March 2004, The European Heart Network started a 32 month project on "Children, Obesity and Associated Avoidable Chronic Diseases". The aim of the project is to contribute to reducing the obesity epidemic and associated avoidable chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, among children and young people.

This document is essentially a plan for implementation of the priority policy options identified during the consultations carried out at European and national level between November 2005 and April 2006.

During the last phase of the project on Children and obesity (from December 2005 to October 2006) a Europe-wide stakeholder consultation on policy options to prevent child obesity took place with a view to achieving consensus on a small number (five) of policy options to be achieved as priorities within the participating European countries as well as at a European level.

All the founding members of the EU platform on diet, nutrition and health were invited to the dinner debate.  The opening remarks were given by Robert Madelin, Director General, Consumer and Health protection of the EU.

The outcome of this debate can be found in the pdf file below.

Increasing obesity, especially in children, is being noted with mounting concern throughout Europe. The International Obesity Task Force estimates that approximately 20% of school-age children in Europe are carrying excess body fat, with an increased risk of developing chronic disease. Of these overweight children, a quarter are obese, with a significant likelihood that some will have multiple risk factors for cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes and other co-morbidities before or during early adulthood.