““Part III: The EU, Overweight/Obesity Part III: The EU, Overweight/Obesity and HEPA: regulation, cooperation, and HEPA: regulation, cooperation, inspiration?” inspiration?”

22

Article 168(ex Article 152 TEC)

1. A high level of human health protection shall be ensured in the definition and implementationof all Union policies and activities.Union action, which shall complement national policies, shall be directed towards improving public health,

preventing physical and mental illness and diseases, and obviating sources of danger to physical and mental health. (…)

(…), acting in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure (…) contribute to the achievement of the objectives referred to in this Article through adopting in order to meet common safety concerns:

(a) measures setting high standards of quality and safety of organs and substances of human origin,blood and blood derivatives; these measures shall not prevent any Member State from maintainingor introducing more stringent protective measures;(b) measures in the veterinary and phytosanitary fields which have as their direct objective theprotection of public health;(c) measures setting high standards of quality and safety for medicinal products and devices formedical use.(…) 5. (…) incentive measures (…)6. (…) recommendations (…)7. Union action shall respect the responsibilities of the Member States for the definition of theirhealth policy and for the organisation and delivery of health services and medical care. (…)

How much can the EU do?How much can the EU do?

33

Article 169(ex Article 153 TEC)

1. In order to promote the interests of consumers and to ensure a high level of consumerprotection, the Union shall contribute to protecting the health, safety and economic interests ofconsumers, as well as to promoting their right to information, education and to organise themselves inorder to safeguard their interests.2. The Union shall contribute to the attainment of the objectives referred to in paragraph 1through:(a) measures adopted pursuant to Article 114 in the context of the completion of the internal market;(b) measures which support, supplement and monitor the policy pursued by the Member States.3. The European Parliament and the Council, acting in accordance with the ordinary legislativeprocedure and after consulting the Economic and Social Committee, shall adopt the measures referredto in paragraph 2(b).4. Measures adopted pursuant to paragraph 3 shall not prevent any Member State frommaintaining or introducing more stringent protective measures. Such measures must be compatiblewith the Treaties. The Commission shall be notified of them.

How much can the EU do?How much can the EU do?

44

Article 165(ex Article 149 TEC)

1. The Union shall contribute to the development of quality education by encouragingcooperation between Member States and, if necessary, by supporting and supplementing their action,while fully respecting the responsibility of the Member States for the content of teaching and theorganisation of education systems and their cultural and linguistic diversity.The Union shall contribute to the promotion of European sporting issues, while taking account of thespecific nature of sport, its structures based on voluntary activity and its social and educationalfunction.2. (…)developing the European dimension in sport, by promoting fairness and openness in sportingcompetitions and cooperation between bodies responsible for sports, and by protecting thephysical and moral integrity of sportsmen and sportswomen, especially the youngest sportsmenand sportswomen.(…) 3. (…) - the European Parliament and the Council,(…) adopt incentive measures, excluding any harmonisation of the

laws and regulations of the Member States, (…) - the Council, on a proposal from the Commission, shall adopt recommendations.

How much can the EU do?How much can the EU do?

5

66

Prevalence in the worldPrevalence in the world

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7151813.stm

77

Development in the USADevelopment in the USA

Source: … http://www.wikinvest.com/image/Obese2007.png

88

Prevalence in the EUPrevalence in the EU

Source: Obesity prevalence from a European perspective: a systematic reviewAnne Berghöfer1 , Tobias Pischon2 , Thomas Reinhold1 , Caroline M Apovian3 , Arya M Sharma4 and Stefan N Willich1 - BMC Public Health 2008, 8:200doi:10.1186/1471-2458-8-200http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/8/200

Left men, right women

99

A case for policy action?A case for policy action?

There must be a link between:

• Policies (sport, PE, town planning, etc.)• Participation levels in sport and PA• Fitness levels• Overweight/obesity levels

1010

A need for more hard science?A need for more hard science?

First studies mentioned in Surgeon General’s ReportFirst studies mentioned in Surgeon General’s Report

Physical activity and cardiovascular diseaseMorris JN, Heady JA, Raffle PAB, Roberts CG, Parks JW. Coronary heart disease and physical activity of work. Lancet 1953;2:1111–1120.

Physical activity and cancerPolednak AP. College athletes, body size, and cancer mortality. Cancer 1976;38:382–387.

CDC. Physical activity and health: a report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta (GA), US Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1996.

Source: Martin, B. (2010): Prospects for promoting physical activity among children. (Physical Activity and Health Work Unit, Institute for Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Zurich). Stuttgart, 01.10.2010. http://www.citiesforsports.eu/conference/presentations.html

1111

A case for policy action?A case for policy action?

There must be a link between:

• Policies (sport, PE, town planning, etc.)• Participation levels in sport and PA• Fitness levels• Overweight/obesity levels

…Have a look at Annex III to the Impact Assessment (to be circulated)

Cross-tabulating different types of information about Member States should yield interesting results.

1212

A case for EU action?A case for EU action?

“Inspiration from Brussels?”

Enhancing health through sport• Commission and Member States: based on the EU Physical Activity Guidelines, continue progress toward the establishment of national guidelines, including a review and coordination process, and consider proposing a Council Recommendation in this field.• Commission: support transnational projects and networks in the area of health-enhancing physical activity.

Source: Commission Communication: Developing the European Dimension in Sport, Brussels, 18.1.2011COM(2011) 12 final, http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2011:0012:FIN:EN:PDF

1313

A case for policy action?A case for policy action?

Thank you for your attention!