In short:
Public Health Commissioner David Byrne has said that the spread of obesity, which is mainly due to bad eating habits and the lack of exercise, could result in higher healthcare costs.
Brief news:
Two out of three Europeans could suffer from obesity by 2030 if there is no change in eating habits, David Byrne, Commissioner for Public Health, has warned. Bad eating habits and a lack of sport hit young Europeans in particular, who are increasingly affected by diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Speaking at an informal gathering of EU health ministers on 12 May, Mr Byrne estimated that obesity could cost between 70 and 130 billion euros to healthcare systems in the EU.
Also participating at the meeting US Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson said the US spends an annual 117 billion dollars (99 billion euros) a year on obesity. Two out of three Americans are overweight and the number of obese children has increased threefold in the last two decades. Obesity is close to overtaking smoking as the main preventable cause of death, Mr Thompson explained.
EU health ministers held a preliminary discussion on patient mobility to prepare further talks on this issue at the Health Council on 2 June. The Commission's decision to establish a new High Level Group on Health Services and Medical Care was welcomed by the ministers as a first step towards a 'permanent mechanism' to support EU-wide co-operation in the field of healthcare.
Commissioner Byrne announced at the meeting that the Commission was preparing a draft strategy with regard to alcohol and public health.