From now on, Europe focuses on dieting pills

A state of emergency has been recently put on European Union
agenda. In the next ten years, European countries will be “on
diet”. The EU countries have to manage an alarming situation:
high rate of obesity and overweight. It seems that all America’s
weight-loss problems along with diets and any kind of dieting
pills crossed the Ocean. European countries borrowed bad habits
from Americans

Along with foods, Americans have brought the whole picture to
the “Old continent”: fad diets and related-weigh loss problems,
dieting pills and dietary supplements. According to
International Obesity Task Force, the prevalence of obesity has
grown by up by 10 to 40 percent in most European countries from
1993 to 2003. It is an alarming statement. 30% of people living
in the European Union are overweight and more than one in ten is
now obese, according to EASO. Not surprisingly, a war against
obesity has started recently. European officials are worried
specifically about childhood obesity since children with “weight
problems” are three to five times more likely to suffer a heart
attack or even stroke before the age of 65. Although this
problem is not as urgent as the American issue, the forecasts
are ruthless. The battle against obesity

When overweight and obesity are on the agenda,

* fast food and modern unhealthy eating habits (too many sweets
and refined foods) * a sedentary lifestyle

are often quoted. Officials of the European Union are worried
because obesity brings along related problems such as diabetes,
stroke and heart disease. Unfortunately,70.000 cases are added
each year, while heart disorders are already the leading cause
of death in the European Union: half of all deaths are caused by
heart disease.

Since the issue became so urgent, the EU was prompted to apply a
“fight-plan” against obesity for the next ten years. Experts
have decided in the recent European Congress of Obesity that the
new fight-front should proceed on four major ways:

1. governments 2. NGOs 3. food industry 4. consumers themselves.

Additionally, two pathways can be involved in this effort:

* television * computer industry.

They are to induce and educate nationwide a well-balanced eating
regimen and promote physical activity and regular exercise
(schools included). A direct and sharp link to the new way of
eating (fast food, biscuits, high carbohydrate foods, fatty
products) hasn’t been established precisely. It is argued though
that giving up old healthy habits proved a significant
overweight factor. Thus, obesity has been declared “public enemy
number one” in the European Union. Portugal case study

Anorectic teenagers and obese middle-aged people – this is
happening nowadays only in Portugal. It is a strange situation,
the least to say. Nearly two-fifths of all Portuguese of 18 to
65 are overweight and no less than 15 percent are already obese
while over 8% of all 18 and 19 year olds are extremely thin
(twice than in the same age group in 1995). These facts were
released in September 2004, after a study had been carried out
and cited by Agency France-Presse. What do these two statistics
disclose?

1. on one hand, the health of people of 18 to 65 (active
Portugaese) is highly threatened by heart disease, stroke and
diabetes 2. on the other hand, many teens of Portugal suffer
from eating disorders (it is argued that they have a repulsive
reaction to obesity and they are obsessed with their look).

As the Portuguese have changed their eating habits lately,
adding more sweets and fatty foods into their meals, the obesity
range highly increased. A review of their eating habits reveals
that many people go to work with no breakfast. Around ten
o’clock in the morning there is the “coffee break”, which is
usually taken with a lot of sweet cakes, rolls, croissants.
Lunch is regularly around one o’clock and means meat (codfish,
veal, pork, chicken, rabbit) and potatoes (raw vegetables are
rarely eaten). Another coffee break is around five o’clock.
Dinner is at eight and consists of meat primarily. The
Portuguese eat soup often but after a meal, not before. The
famous caldo verde soup is preferred, in spite of the fact that
it contains a potentially lethal piece of cholesterol rich
sausage.

Besides, Portugal is invaded by fast food, especially hamburger
outlets like McDonalds. Not only large cities, but also small
towns have a McDonalds. Not to mention the other fast-food
outlets, which make things worse for the Portuguese.

1. Prev:Weight Loss: Ten Reasons Why You Need Fat!
2. Next:The Miraculous Claims of the Zone Diet