THE EUROPEAN UNION AND THE UNITED STATES ARE READY TO JOIN FORCES IN TACKLING THE GROWING PROBLEM OF OBESITY AND CO-OPERATE ON FOOD ADVERTISING AND LABELLING AND ON CONSUMER EDUCATION, THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION SAID THURSDAY, ACCORDING TO DPA. HEALTH EXPERTS AND FOOD-INDUSTRY REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE US AND EUROPE ARE MEETING IN BRUSSELS THIS THURSDAY AND FRIDAY TO COMPARE GOOD PRACTICES, IDENTIFY POTENTIAL PARTNERSHIPS AS WELL AS TO DISCUSS JOINT ACTIONS IN REGULATION AND SELF-REGULATION, THE COMMISSION SAID. ONE IN FOUR CHILDREN ACROSS EUROPE WEIGHS TOO MUCH AND THE NUMBER OF OVERWEIGHT AND OBESE CHILDREN IS RISING BY 400,000 ANNUALLY. SINCE 1970, THE NUMBER OF OVERWEIGHT US CHILDREN HAS DOUBLED OR EVEN TRIPLED. ESTIMATES OF OBESITY AMONG US CHILDREN RANGE FROM 15 TO 40 PER CENT. "EUROPE'S OBESITY CRISIS IS EVERY BIT SEVERE AS THAT OF NORTH AMERICA WITH DEVASTATING PUBLIC HEALTH AND ECONOMIC COSTS," SAID EU HEALTH COMMISSIONER MARKOS KYPRIANOU. THE DISEASE ACCOUNTS FOR UP TO 7 PER CENT OF THE EU'S HEALTH CARE COSTS, THE COMMISSION SAID EARLIER. INDIRECT COSTS SUCH AS REDUCED PRODUCTIVITY AS WELL AS DEMANDS ON INSURANCE AND SOCIAL SECURITY INCREASE THE PRICE OF OBESITY. A TOTAL OF 34 KEY PLAYERS FROM EUROPE'S FOOD INDUSTRY AND CIVIL SOCIETY HAVE PLEDGED TO CURB VOLUNTARILY THE AMOUNT OF SALT AND SUGAR IN FOOD, NOT TO MARKET DIRECTLY TO CHILDREN AND TO LABEL FOOD PACKAGES MORE CLEARLY, THE COMMISSION SAID. --MORE
