Editorial

"EEN: PREVENTING CHILDHOOD OBESITY
IN EUROPEAN CITIES"

By M. Robert Madelin,
Director General for Health and Consumers, European Commission

As Director General for Health and Consumers in the European Commission, I am honoured to introduce the first newsletter of the EPODE* European Network (EEN), particularly since the EEN, with the support of the Programme of Community Action in the Field of Public Health, will work for the three coming years on conceptualising and disseminating guidelines to accelerate the implementation in Europe of efficient community-based interventions (CBIs) focusing on obesity prevention. 

Evidence indicates that overweight and obesity are rising dramatically, particularly amongst European children, having a striking impact on their health. Of course body weight management is only one part of the health equation: balanced diets and appropriate levels of physical activity are also crucial for the optimal growth of our children as well as for their well-being and intellectual development.

Creating the conditions and relevant environments to support healthier lifestyles for children and their parents requires sustainable mobilization of local stakeholders. The European Union (EU) public action in these areas will aim at complementing and optimizing actions undertaken at other decision-levels, be they national or regional, as well as facilitating the sharing of methods and successful approaches across Member States.

The White Paper on A Strategy for Europe on Nutrition, Overweight and Obesity-related health issues, adopted by the Commission on 30 May 2007, cites EPODE as an innovative example of community projects to promote healthy behaviours among children. The paper promotes the use of similar multistakeholder approaches across European regions and cities.

EPODE has proven itself a sustainable and effective ongoing initiative in France, moving out of the experimental stage into consolidation. I am encouraged by the fact that a number of EU regions and cities have now chosen to carry forward similar initiatives.

It is my hope that this will continue to develop across the EU and that the EPODE European Network, with the support of DG Health and Consumers of the European Commission, will help accelerate crucial contributions to making a difference in preventing childhood obesity at local level.

R. Madelin Director General

*EPODE (Together Let’s Prevent Childhood Obesity) is an innovative and evidence-based methodology aimed at preventing childhood obesity and promoting healthier lifestyles, placing the community at the heart of its strategy involving local authorities and local stakeholders in a sustainable way.