Families can’t tackle obesity alone

Governments must act to combat childhood obesity, warn experts following major European Commission-funded study. European governments must act to help families improve their children's health and tackle the obesity epidemic. That is the advice of I.Family researchers who, today (Thursday 9 February), revealed the findings of a major international study into the diets and lifestyles of European children. Dr Garrath Williams, of Lancaster University, was one of 17 lead partners in the I.Family Study - a 5-year international scientific study across 12 different countries - which examined the health, diets, physical fitness, local environments and peer and family influences of more than 16,000 children in eight European countries (Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Spain and Sweden). At the Study's final conference in Brussels today, I.Family researchers revealed their key findings to policy-makers, healthcare and children's health professionals, and health NGOs from all over Europe, aiming to inform policy and practice at local, national and European level. The main topics included dietary patterns, the importance of sleep, food choices, the role of friends, local environments, family influence, metabolic health, genetic factors and community interventions. The key findings of the I.Family Study include: Rates of overweight/obesity vary widely between European regions - from around 40% of children aged between two and ten in southern Italy to less than 10% in Belgium.