Presented by Gauden Galea, Director, Noncommunicable Diseases and Health Promotion, WHO/Europe, at the 64th session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe.

1. European Food and Nutrition
Action Plan 2015–2020
Gauden Galea
Director, Division of Noncommunicable Diseases and
Health Promotion

2. Prevalence of overweight among 7-year-old boys 2009/2010, by country
49
WHO European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative
45 45
34 34
32
30 29 28
26 25 25 24 24 24 23
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
GRC ITA** ESP MLT* MKD PRT SVN NOR** BGR IRL HUN LVA LTU CZE SWE BEL
* 6-year-old boys
** 8-year-old boys
%

3. Diet as a major risk factor in Europe

4. Mission
To achieve universal access to affordable, balanced,
healthy food, with equity and gender equality in nutrition
for all citizens of the WHO European Region through
intersectoral policies in the context of Health 2020
remove barriers to PA, reduce „sedentary“ environments

5. Guiding principles
• Reduce inequalities in access to healthy food, as stated in
Health 2020
• Ensure human rights and the right to food
• Empower people and communities through health-enhancing
environments
• Promote a life-course approach
• Use evidence-based strategies

6. 5 priority areas
Create healthy food and drink environments
Promote the gains of a healthy diet throughout life,
especially for the most vulnerable groups
Reinforce health systems to promote healthy diets
Support surveillance, monitoring, evaluation and research
Strengthen governance, alliances and networks to ensure a
health-in-all-policies approach

7. Key highlights from the Action Plan
• Promote early nutrition (breastfeeding and complementary feeding)
• Eliminate trans fats (and keep saturated fat low)
• Restrict marketing
• Promote salt-reduction initiatives
• Strengthen school nutrition
• Include counselling in primary care
• Provide support for obesity management
• Improve monitoring and surveillance

8. Thank you