A Group of six Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have joined 38 stakeholder organisations signing an open letter to health to health ministers and their permanent representatives to the EU calling for obesity be included as a non-communicable disease in the EU4Health programme.
The group, including MEP Pernille WEISS (Pictured), Group of the European People’s Party, Christian Democrats; MEP Biljana BORZAN, Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats; MEP Sara CERDAS, Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats; MEP Linea SOGAARD-LIDELL, Renew Europe Group; MEP Nicolae ŞTEFĂNUȚĂ, Renew Europe Group; and MEP Jutta PAULUS, Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance, signed the letter with organisations including the European Association for the Study of Obesity, OPEN-EU (Obesity Policy Engagement Network – EU), the EU Health Coalition, and World Obesity Federation (WOF).
They express deep concern at the positioning of obesity in the Council’s current draft for the health programme only as a lifestyle risk factor on a par with tobacco and alcohol. This is despite it being recognised as a disease by the World Health Organisation, Portugal, Italy and Germany.
Picture: MEP Pernille Weiss