Obesity in Europe and expressing sugar in teaspoonfuls on packaging

Motion for a recommendation | Doc. 13616 | 30 September 2014

Signatories:

Mr Geraint DAVIES, United Kingdom, SOC ; Lord Donald ANDERSON, United Kingdom, SOC ; Mr Paride ANDREOLI, San Marino, SOC ; Ms Ingrid ANTIČEVIĆ MARINOVIĆ, Croatia, SOC ; Mr Deniz BAYKAL, Turkey, SOC ; Ms Eka BESELIA, Georgia, SOC ; Mr Robert BIEDROŃ, Poland, SOC ; Ms Gülsün BİLGEHAN, Turkey, SOC ; Mr Brian BINLEY, United Kingdom, EDG ; Mr Marek BOROWSKI, Poland, SOC ; Mr Boriss CILEVIČS, Latvia, SOC ; Mr David CRAUSBY, United Kingdom, SOC ; Mr Yves CRUCHTEN, Luxembourg, SOC ; Mr Arcadio DÍAZ TEJERA, Spain, SOC ; Alexander [The Earl of] DUNDEE, United Kingdom, EDG ; Mr Gvozden Srećko FLEGO, Croatia, SOC ; Mr Paul FLYNN, United Kingdom, SOC ; Ms Darina GABÁNIOVÁ, Slovak Republic, SOC ; Mr Gerardo GIOVAGNOLI, San Marino, SOC ; Mr Andreas GROSS, Switzerland, SOC ; Ms Carina HÄGG, Sweden, SOC ; Mr Jim HOOD, United Kingdom, SOC ; Mr Jacob LUND, Denmark, SOC ; Ms Guguli MAGRADZE, Georgia, SOC ; Sir Alan MEALE, United Kingdom, SOC ; Ms Melita MULIĆ, Croatia, SOC ; Ms Oľga NACHTMANNOVÁ, Slovak Republic, SOC ; Mr Žarko OBRADOVIĆ, Serbia, SOC ; Mr John PRESCOTT, United Kingdom, SOC ; Mr Stefan SCHENNACH, Austria, SOC ; Lord John E. TOMLINSON, United Kingdom, SOC ; Ms Nataša VUČKOVIĆ, Serbia, SOC

This motion has not been discussed in the Assembly and commits only those who have signed it.

The Parliamentary Assembly notes the growth of obesity and diabetes across Europe and the associated growth in health services costs. There is a clear link between added sugar in processed foods and obesity, and the World Health Organisation recommends a maximum daily intake of sugar of 5% of calories equivalent to 6 teaspoonfuls for a woman and 9 for a man. Moreover high added sugar products are regularly promoted as low fat products even though they make people fat.

Therefore the Assembly calls on the Committee of Ministers to support expressing sugar in teaspoonfuls on packaging so consumers can make healthy choices more easily and restrict the advertising of high sugar products as low fat products.