Safeguarding children and young people from obesity and type 2 diabetes

Recommendation 1966 (2011)

Author(s):

Parliamentary Assembly

Origin

Assembly debate on 13 April 2011 (15th Sitting) (see Doc. 12559, report of the Social, Health and Family Affairs Committee, rapporteur: Mr Hancock). Text adopted by the Assembly on 13 April 2011 (15th Sitting).

Thesaurus

1. The Parliamentary Assembly, referring to its Resolution 1804 (2011) on safeguarding children and young people from obesity and type 2 diabetes, draws the Committee of Ministers’ attention to the dangers posed by the dramatic rise in the rates of obesity and type 2 diabetes in Europe, particularly among children and young people.

2. The Assembly fears that member states will face a dramatic increase in public health expenditure in the next fifteen to twenty years to cover the costs of illnesses related to obesity if no countermeasures are taken now.

3. A general policy to prevent children and young people from becoming overweight and obese, and to assist those affected, should thus now be drawn up and implemented in all Council of Europe member states.

4. The Assembly therefore recommends that the Committee of Ministers draft a set of guidelines to encourage member and observer states to adopt and implement co-ordinated strategies involving relevant sectors, such as public health, education, youth and sport, on preventing and treating obesity and type 2 diabetes among children and young people.