Health andConsumers

Health andConsumers

The EU platform for action on diet, physical activity and health.

What has been achieved, what more can be done?

ELC Symposium21 November, 2012

Philippe RouxEuropean Commission

Health andConsumers

Health andConsumers

Unhealthy diets and physical inactivity "contribute" to Chronic Diseases

Health andConsumers

Health andConsumers

Obesity Update OECD 2012 Obesity rates remain high

Social disparities in obesity unabated

At least 1 in 2 people is overweight or obese in over half of OECD countries

Severely obese people lose 8 -10 life years

An obese person incurs 25% higher health expenditures in any given year

New measurestaxes on unhealthy foods and beverages

increasingly comprehensive strategies by many governments

http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/1/61/49716427.pdf

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Health andConsumers

The White Paper• The last three decades have seen the levels of overweight and obesity in the

EU population rise dramatically.

• This is particularly worrying among children, where the estimated prevalence of overweightness was 30% in 2006.

• The EU Strategy on Nutrition, Overweight and Obesity Related Health Issues, also known as the White Paper, is the Commission's response to these concerns – not SANCO response only.

• The White Paper is built upon five main pillars:

• Creating better informed consumers

• Making the healthy option available

• Encouraging physical activity

• Priority groups and settings

• Developing an evidence base to support policy making decisions

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Health andConsumers

Intervention logic of the EU Strategy on Nutrition, overweight and obesity Health related issues

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European Commission Private actors

EC & WHO Europe

Priority areas

Member States

Better informed consumers

Healthy options available

Physical activity encouraged

Evidence base for policy-making

Priority groups targeted

Effective monitoring systems

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Better health and quality of life

Smart, sustainable, inclusive growth

Reduced obesity and overweight Reduced incidence of related NCDs

More health-enhancing physical activity

Healthier diets

Outputs

Instruments

Outcomes

Impacts

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Potentially all outcomes

Potentially all outcomes

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Health andConsumers

An action oriented process

The Platform is part of a broader EU Strategy on Nutrition, Overweight and Obesity-related Health Issues.

The development of effective partnerships is a basic principle for action.

The Platform Charter reads: “a cooperative and action-oriented approach is respected”.

33 Platform membersindustry public health NGOshealth professionalsconsumer groups

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Health andConsumers

What’s the nature of the Platform?

cooperative voluntarism

multi-stakeholder

forum foractiondiscussion on action

“agree to disagree”each commitment is subject to other members’ criticismall common actions are challenged from multiple perspectives

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Health andConsumers

How does it work?

Members have full responsibility for financing, implementing, monitoring and reporting the actions

Areas of commitments

consumer information, including labellingeducation, including lifestyle modificationphysical activity promotionmarketing and advertisingcomposition of foods, availability of healthy food options, portion sizesadvocacy and information exchange

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Health andConsumers

Who benefits from the work of the Platform?

Geographical and population reachjust under 40% of commitments target more than 50% of the EU population*

55% of commitments are multi-national and target more than one Member State*

*Mid-term Evaluation Report

Priority target groupschildren and adolescents

low socio-economic groups

senior citizens

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Health andConsumers

Who benefits from the work of the Platform? Distribution of assessed commitments per target audience

Annual Report 2011

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Health andConsumers

Who benefits from the work of the Platform?

Number of commitments per activity type addressing children and adolescents

Annual Report 2012

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Health andConsumers

Who benefits from the work of the Platform? Percentage of commitments by geographical coverage

Annual Report 2012

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Health andConsumers

What else happens in the Platform?

Exchange of information on other initiatives and

good practices out of the Platform

Information on developments in the work of

EU institutions and Member States

Updates on recent events and publications in the Platform field of work

Observers from the WHO, EFSA, ECOSOC, certain Member States, EP, relevant scientists

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Health andConsumers

Is the Platform successful? More than 300 commitments in 6 years

External Mid-term Evaluation – conclusions

Balanced distribution between not-for-profit and for-profit members

Better understanding among members through “dialogue that has become more constructive and less confrontational over the years”

Platform commitments in the areas of advertising/marketing to children and food/drink reformulation are having an impact.*

*based on 2 case studies

Selected case studies suggest commitments in the areas of marketing/advertising to children and food/drink reformulation are being implemented effectively.

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Health andConsumers

Platform ACTIONS primarily linked to members’ core business activities - examples*

• *Mid-term Evaluation Report

Sector Type of commitment

Food & Drink Implementation of GDA nutrition labelling schemes

Advertising Promotion and adoption of advertising self-regulatory

mechanisms and codes

Sports & Fitness

Creation of links between health clubs and schools

Agriculture Teaching children about food production

Retail & Catering

Implementation of national guidelines and information of products' nutrition content

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Health andConsumers

Concrete results from Platform commitments - examples More than 15 340 670 children have benefitted

from Platform actions encouraging physical activity

10 dedicated websites featuring healthy nutrition and physical activity topics (one more in the pipeline)

Food reformulation183 tons of salt reduction (2006-2010)

1314 tons of fat reduction (2008-2010)

2229 tons of sugar reduction (2006-2010)

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Health andConsumers

Concrete results from Platform commitments: examples

The renewed Pledge (approximately 80% of food and beverage advertising spent in the EU)

Voluntary commitment

No advertising of products to children under 12 years*, except for products which fulfil shared specific nutrition thresholds based on accepted scientific evidence and/or applicable national and international dietary guidelines.Media covered : TV, Print, third-party internet and company-owned websites,Audience definition: >35%No communication related to products in primary schools, except where specifically requested by, or agreed with, the school administration for educational purposes.

Health andConsumers

Health andConsumers

Concrete results from Platform commitments: examples

Diet, Physical Activity and CVD Prevention in Europe

Scientific reviews on fats, salt, sugars, dietary fibre, complex carbohydrates, fruit and vegetables, BMI/energy intake, physical activity, folate, polyphenols and CVD

Research findings published in a report

Main target audience: policy makers

More than 1600 hits of the launched website Policy conference with the participation of Director General Paola Testori Coggi to

disseminate the results and to address stakeholders

Health andConsumers

Health andConsumers

Concrete results from Platform commitments : examples

Stakeholders discussing out of home nutrition information

survey indicates consumer interest in information on calories in restaurants

advocacy action aiming to:

look at provision of nutrition information on foods in restaurants and other food establishments

lead informal discussions with representatives of the restaurant sector

exchange views on communicating consumer information at point of sale

Health andConsumers

Health andConsumers

Platform 2012-2013: the way forward Improvements of already existing commitments and new ones:

responsible advertising/marketing to childrenfood reformulation

Vulnerable groupschildren and adolescentslow socio-economic groups

Physical activity and sports

Reaching out to schools with the aim of increasing physical activity and ……………………………………… making the healthy option available;

Health andConsumers

Health andConsumers

Strategy Evaluation

• Based upon three pillars:

• - Case studies according to desired outcomes

• - Analysis of statistics & trends

• - Evaluation according to instruments

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Health andConsumers

Evaluation approach

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3. Analysis of statistics and trends

2. Case studies according to desired outcomes

1. Evaluation according to instruments

Member State activities and

the HLG

EU Platform for Action on Diet, PA and

Health

EU legislation related to the

Strategy

EU integration of

policies

EU funding and

programmes

Monitoring system / evidence

base

Overall evaluation results

Making the healthy option available

Encouraging physical activity

Priority groups / inequalities

Evolution of obesity and overweight

Evolution of diet / nutrition

Evolution of physical activity rates

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Health andConsumers

Milestones and Deliverables

Interim report 7 December 2012

Steering group meeting 18 December 2012

Draft final report End March 2013 (exact date TBD)

Steering group meeting Early April 2013

Final report 29 April 2013

Seminar with HLG members TBD

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Health andConsumers

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