Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2008-09-24-Speech-3-399"
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"en.20080924.34.3-399"2
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"Mr President, this debate is very important. I therefore want to start by welcoming the Commission’s initiative and Mr Foglietta’s report. More has been said about anorexia than obesity, despite obesity having become a truly global epidemic. More than 50% of Europeans are overweight and around 6% of health expenditure is spent on obesity, as already mentioned here today. Child obesity is continuing to grow, with 22 million European children now being overweight.
The fight against obesity must be a political priority of the European Union. I therefore agree with most of the measures proposed: consumer information, restriction on television advertising, nutritional and health information on food labelling. People must realise that obesity is one of the main causes of death and is associated with many chronic diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disorders, bone and joint problems, respiratory diseases and cancer. We must act, and we must act quickly. There is no secret to the solution: more physical exercise and greater care with food, which is totally the opposite to what most people are doing. Sandwiches and soft drinks, sweets and snacks should not be consumed every day and a sedentary lifestyle does nothing for your health.
Physical exercise can simply involve walking for at least half an hour a day. It does not take much effort or cost a lot, but it works. It is important for adults and vital for children. Many parents do not even realise the harm they are doing to their children by allowing them to spend their free time in front of the television or computer, eating what they should not be eating, without any kind of monitoring or control.
We need to join forces to combat obesity which is why the actions must be concerted and involve schools, families and operators in the productive, health and social sectors. Everyone has a responsibility. The role of the family in changing habits is decisive. Schools should be responsible for the qualitative and nutritional control of school meals, prohibiting the sale of high-fat, high-salt or high-sugar products in bars and vending machines. At the same time they should facilitate and promote physical activity for students."@en1
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