Follow-up to Written Question P-013150/2015 on obesity and people in lower socio-economic groups

Question for written answer
to the Commission
Rule 130
Alfred Sant (S&D)

Subject: Follow-up to Written Question P-013150/2015 on obesity and people in lower socio-economic groups

Question(s)

In the Commission’s White Paper on a Strategy for Europe on nutrition, overweight and obesity-related health issues, it is stated that ‘obesity has higher prevalence among people in lower socioeconomic groups, indicating the need to pay particular attention to the social dimension of the issue.’ In the priorities section of the same White Paper it is also stated that ‘evidence indicates that obesity is rising dramatically among European children, and that it disproportionately affects those in low socioeconomic groups’. Furthermore, Council conclusions on nutrition and physical activity (2014/C 213/01) point out that ‘social inequalities are particularly important, [and] that every year citizens lose their lives [to] diseases related to unhealthy diet and lack of physical activity’.
Can the Commission provide data on the relationship between obesity and people in lower socioeconomic groups in the EU?
Can it list the tangible results achieved since publishing the aforementioned White Paper in 2007 in relation to the high presence of obesity among people in lower socioeconomic groups, including as regards the study it said it would finance that year on this subject?
Can it outline its future plans for tackling this specific cause of obesity in the EU?

EN
P-013150/2015
Answer given by Mr Andriukaitis on behalf of the Commission
(29.10.2015)

The prevalence of obesity is rising in many European countries and rising fastest in groups with lower socio-economic status; research further indicates that there is a strong relationship between obesity and low socio-economic status, especially for women and children (1,2).

Healthcare, including action on obesity and health inequalities, is primarily a responsibility of the Member States.

The Commission supports them in line with the Communication on health inequalities (3) and the Strategy for Europe on Nutrition, Overweight and Obesity-related Health Issues (4). Key implementation processes are the High Level Group on Nutrition and Physical Activity (5) and the EU Platform for Action on Diet, Physical Activity and Health (6). The Commission initiatives include promoting healthy diets among schoolchildren through the EU School Fruit and Vegetables and School Milk Schemes (7,8); promoting physical activity in the context of the 2013 Council Recommendation (9) and the Erasmus+ programme (10); supporting a Joint Action on Nutrition and Physical Activity with an horizontal concern with social inequalities; and by implementing European Parliament pilot projects (11) targeting vulnerable populations.

In 2014, the High Level Group agreed to the Action Plan on Childhood Obesity (12) also with a special concern for groups with lower socio-economic status.

The actions above follow many of the recommendations of the study mentioned by the Honourable MEP (13).

The Commission will continue to support Member States in this domain in the context described above, and namely with the implementation of the Action Plan of Childhood Obesity, with food reformulation efforts (14) and with the reinforcement of the evidence base for action (15).

1.http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/health/health-status-determinants/data/database
2.http://ec.europa.eu/health/social_determinants/docs/policybrief_obesity_en.pdf
3.http://ec.europa.eu/health/ph_determinants/socio_economics/documents/com2009_en.pdf
4.http://ec.europa.eu/health/archive/ph_determinants/life_style/nutrition/documents/nutrition_wp_en.pdf
5.http://ec.europa.eu/health/nutrition_physical_activity/high_level_group/index_en.htm
6.http://ec.europa.eu/health/nutrition_physical_activity/platform/index_en.htm
7.http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/sfs/index_en.htm
8.http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/milk/school-milk-scheme/index_en.htm
9.OJ C 354/1 of 4.12.2013.
10.http://ec.europa.eu/sport/opportunities/index_en.htm.
11.http://ec.europa.eu/health/nutrition_physical_activity/projects/ep_funded_projects_en.htm
12.http://ec.europa.eu/health/nutrition_physical_activity/docs/childhoodobesity_actionplan_2014_2020_en.pdf
13.http://ec.europa.eu/health/ph_determinants/life_style/nutrition/documents/ev20081028_rep_en.pdf
14.http://ec.europa.eu/health/nutrition_physical_activity/docs/euframework_national_nutrients_en.pdf
15.Namely under Horizon 2020 http://ec.europa.eu/horizon2020

P-014389-15
Subject: Follow-up to Written Question P-013150/2015 on obesity and people in lower socioeconomic groups

In reference to Written Question P-013150/2015 on obesity and people in lower socioeconomic groups, in which the Commission is asked whether it can provide data on the relationship between obesity and people in lower socioeconomic groups in the EU, is the Commission in the position to provide the requested data?

Answer given by Mr Andriukaitis on behalf of the Commission

As mentioned in the European Commission’s answer to Written Question P-013150/2015(1), research indicates that there is a strong relationship between obesity and lower socioeconomic status, especially for women and children.
The Commission would refer to the Eurostat data provided in annex for comprehensive statistics on health status determinants (namely body mass index, broken down by income quintile or education attainement level), and furthermore to the Eurostat article on overweight and obesity(2) and to the WHO report on obesity and inequities(3), published with the support of the European Union, for a thorough analysis of the situation.

ANNEX to parliamentary question P-14389/2015

Maltese Version

Suġġett: L-obeżità u persuni fi gruppi soċjoekonomiċi ta’ livell aktar baxx
Fil-White Paper tal-Kummissjoni dwar Strateġija għall-Ewropa dwar in-nutrizzjoni, il-piż żejjed u kwistjonijiet ta’ saħħa relatati mal-obeżità, huwa ppreċiżat li l-obeżità għandha prevalenza ogħla fost nies li jinsabu fi gruppi soċjoekonomiċi aktar baxxi u dan juri l-ħtieġa li tingħata attenzjoni partikolari lid-dimensjoni soċjali tal-kwistjoni. Fit-taqsima tal-prijoritajiet tal-istess White Paper jingħad ukoll li l-evidenza turi li l-obeżità qed tiżdid b’mod drammatiku fost it-tfal Ewropej, u li taffettwa b’mod sproporzjonat dawk li jinsabu fi gruppi soċjoekonomiċi baxxi. Barra minn hekk, il-konklużjonijiet tal-Kunsill dwar in-nutrizzjoni u l-attività fiżika (2014/C 213/01) jindikaw li l-inugwaljanzi soċjali huma partikolarment importanti, [u] li kull sena għadd ta’ ċittadini jitilfu ħajjithom [minħabba] mard relatat ma’ dieta ħażina u n-nuqqas ta’ attività fiżika.
Il-Kummissjoni tista’ tipprovdi data dwar ir-relazzjoni bejn l-obeżità u nies fi gruppi soċjoekonomiċi aktar baxxi fl-UE?
Tista’ l-Kummissjoni telenka r-riżultati tanġibbli miksuba billi tippubblika l-White Paper msemmija iktar ’il fuq fl-2007 f’dak li għandu x’jaqsam ma’ preżenza għolja ta’ obeżità fost nies minn gruppi soċjoekonomiċi iktar baxxi, inkluż fir-rigward tal-istudju li hija indikat li se tiffinanzja dik is-sena dwar dan is-suġġett?
Tista’ l-Kummissjoni ssemmi l-pjanijet futuri tagħha li bihom se tindirizza dan l-għan speċifiku tal-obeżità fl-UE?
MT
P-013150/2015
Tweġiba tas-Sur Andriukaitis f’isem il-Kummissjoni
([d.m.yyyy])

Il-prevalenza tal-obeżità qed tiżdied f’bosta pajjiżi Ewropej u b’pass aktar mgħaġġel fi gruppi bi status soċjoekonomiku baxx; ir-riċerka turi wkoll li hemm relazzjoni b’saħħitha bejn l-obeżità u l-istatus soċjoekonomiku baxx, speċjalment fil-każ tan-nisa u t-tfal,.

Il-kura tas-saħħa, inkluża l-azzjoni dwar l-obeżità u l-inugwaljanzi fis-saħħa, hija primarjament ir-responsabbiltà tal-Istati Membri.

Il-Kummissjoni tappoġġjahom, b’konformità mal-Komunikazzjoni dwar l-inugwaljanzi fis-saħħa u l-Istrateġija għall-Ewropa dwar in-Nutrizzjoni, il-Piż Żejjed u Kwistjonijiet ta’ Saħħa Relatati mal-Obeżità. Il-proċessi ta’ implimentazzjoni prinċipali huma l-Grupp ta’ Livell Għoli dwar in-Nutrizzjoni u l-Attività Fiżika u l-Pjattaforma tal-UE għal Azzjoni dwar id-Dieta, l-Attività Fiżika u s-Saħħa. L-inizjattivi tal-Kummissjoni jinkludu l-promozzjoni ta’ dieti tajbin għas-saħħa fost it-tfal tal-iskola permezz tal-Iskemi tal-UE tal-Frott u l-Ħxejjex fl-Iskejjel u l-Ħalib fl-Iskejjel,; il-promozzjoni tal-attività fiżika fil-kuntest tar-Rakkomandazzjoni tal-Kunsill tal-2013 u l-programm Erasmus+; bl-appoġġ għall-azzjoni konġunta favur in-nutrizzjoni u l-attività fiżika b’interess orizzontali fl-inugwaljanzi soċjali; u permezz tal-implimentazzjoni tal-proġetti pilota tal-Parlament Ewropew li għandhom fil-mira tagħhom il-popolazzjonijiet vulnerabbli.

Fl-2014, il-Grupp ta’ Livell Għoli qabel dwar Pjan ta’ Azzjoni dwar l-Obeżità fit-Tfal li wkoll huwa kkonċernat b’mod speċjali mill-gruppi bi status soċjoekonomiku aktar baxx.

L-azzjonijiet ta’ hawn fuq isegwu ħafna mir-rakkomandazzjonijiet tal-istudju msemmi mill-Onorevoli MPE.

Il-Kummissjoni se tkompli tappoġġja lill-Istati Membri f’dan il-qasam fil-kuntest deskritt hawn fuq, u b’mod partikolari bl-implimentazzjoni tal-Pjan ta’ Azzjoni dwar l-Obeżità fit-Tfal, bi sforzi għar-riformulazzjoni tal-ikel, u permezz tat-tisħiħ tal-bażi tal-evidenza għal azzjoni.

P-014389/2015

Suġġett: Segwitu għall-Mistoqsija bil-Miktub P-013150/2015 dwar l-obeżità u n-nies fil-gruppi soċjoekonomiċi aktar baxxi
B’referenza għall-mistoqsija bil-miktub P-013150/2015 dwar l-obeżità u n-nies fil-gruppi soċjoekonomiċi aktar baxxi, li fiha l-Kummissjoni hija mitluba jekk tistax tipprovdi data dwar l-obeżità u n-nies fil-gruppi soċjoekonomiċi aktar baxxi fl-UE, il-Kummissjoni hija f’pożizzjoni li tipprovdi d-data mitluba?

MT
P-014389/2015
Tweġiba tas-Sur Andriukaitis
f’isem il-Kummissjoni
(11.12.2015)

Kif jissemma fit-tweġiba tal-Kummissjoni Ewropea għall-mistoqsija bil-miktub P-013150/2015, ir-riċerka turi li hemm relazzjoni b’saħħitha bejn l-obeżità u l-istatus soċjoekonomiku aktar baxx, speċjalment fil-każ tan-nisa u t-tfal.

Għal analiżi bir-reqqa tas-sitwazzjoni, il-Kummissjoni tirreferi għad-dejta tal-Eurostat ipprovduta fl-Anness għall-istatistika komprensiva dwar id-determinanti tal-istatus tas-saħħa (jiġifieri l-indiċi tal-massa tal-ġisem, imqassma skont il-livell tal-kisbiet fl-edukazzjoni jew id-distribuzzjoni kwintili tal-introjtu), u wkoll għall-artikolu tal-Eurostat dwar il-piż żejjed u l-obeżità u r-rapport tad-WHO dwar l-obeżità u inugwaljanzi, ippubblikat bl-appoġġ tal-Unjoni Ewropea.