By Martin Banks - 23rd November 2011
Leading scientists are calling for tougher regulation of the food industry and other "decisive" policy initiatives at EU-wide level to tackle ill health.
They say diet, physical activity and cardiovascular disease prevention each present a "pressing challenge" for EU policymakers.
Leading the call is Mike Rayner, the director of the British Heart Foundation health promotion research group at Oxford university.
Rayner, also chair of the European Heart Network (EHN) nutrition expert group, says there is a compelling case for the EU to pursue "more ambitious goals that are fit for purpose".
His demands are echoed by Dutch Heart Foundation CEO and EHN president Hans Stam, who says there is an "urgent need" for action.
Their comments come in the wake of a new report containing "disturbing" evidence on the impact of diet and physical activity on coronary heart disease and stroke in Europe.
The report says that some 12,000 Europeans die every day due to heart attacks, strokes, and other cardiovascular diseases, and argues that many of these deaths can be avoided.
The figures cited show that cardiovascular disease is not only causing premature death and accounting for nearly half of all deaths each year (48 per cent or over 4.3 million), but that it also reflects chronic disability on a "massive" scale across Europe.
"This is hitting the poorest citizens the hardest and poorer European countries are in an even worse state of health," it says.
The report highlights the twin factors of current food industry practices and population ageing at a time when stretched national budgets have forced some governments to raise the age of retirement and cut back on healthcare provision.
It also says that a "dramatic" increase in the prevalence of overweight people, obesity and Type 2 diabetes are of particular concern because these problems are guaranteed to increase cardiovascular disease in the future.
The EHN conference in Brussels today, brought together commission officials, MEPs, scientists, OECD and WHO experts and consumer and industry representatives.
