By Martin Banks - 21st November 2011
The EU should pursue more ambitious goals that are fit for purpose
EHN
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, director of the British Heart Foundation health promotion research group at Oxford university.
Rayner, who is also chairman 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 Hans Stam, CEO of the Dutch Heart Foundation and president of the European Heart Network 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 (CVD) in Europe.
Stam says a 'dramatic' new picture, with worsening trends across the board, emerges in the pan-European report called 'Diet, physical activity and cardiovascular disease prevention in Europe'.
The report says that some 12,000 Europeans die every day due to heart attacks, strokes, and other cardiovascular diseases.
The report argues that many of these deaths can be avoided.
The figures cited in the report show that cardiovascular disease is causing not only premature death and accounting for nearly half of all deaths each year - 48 per cent or over 4.3 million - but is also chronic disability on a 'massive' scale across Europe.
It says, "This is hitting the poorest citizens the hardest and poorer European countries are in an even worse state of health."
The report highlights the twin factors of current food industry practices and ageing of population at a time when stretched national budgets have forced some governments to raise the age of retirement and cut back on health care provision.
The report 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 issues will be debated at a major conference later this month where Dr Ramer and Dr Stam will provide an overview of what they believe is needed to address the problems.
Other speakers at the conference in Brussels on Wednesday include Paola Testori Coggi, director general, DG health and consumer protection at the commission.
Coggi will discuss Europe’s health crisis with top scientists, OECD and WHO experts, consumers and industry representatives and other EU officials and MEPs at the event which is organised by the EHN.
