|
|
10th International Congress on Obesity.
Brussels, 06.09.2006.This week, the 10th International Congress on Obesity (ICO) in Sydney, Australia, brings international attention to the fight against obesity and other diet-related diseases. "The conference will treat obesity as the keystone of all health priorities because it is the single greatest contributor to chronic disease throughout the world" said Professor Ian Caterson, co-chair of the congress. "There are now more overweight people in the world than undernourished and we are seeing the double burden of the extremes of malnutrition – undernutrition and overnutrition – in many developing countries." In time for this congress, GreenFacts has published a popularised version of "Diet, Nutrition and the Prevention of Chronic Diseases", a joint WHO/FAO expert consultation. It is available at www.greenfacts.org/en/diet-nutrition/ in English, and soon also in French and Spanish. Highlights of the joint WHO/FAO report As a result of changes in the way we eat and live, chronic diseases – such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, dental disease, and osteoporosis – are now the most common cause of death in the world. Dietary factors are estimated to account for nearly a third of cancers in industrialised countries, and the number of cases of diabetes in the world, currently around 150 million, is expected to double by 2025. Such diseases are largely preventable through a healthy lifestyle, that is to say the combination of regular physical activity with food variety and social interaction. Factors such as being breastfed, regular physical exercise, and a balanced diet will reduce the risk of developing chronic diseases, whereas a sedentary lifestyle as well as a high intake of fat and drinks containing added sugars will increase the risk. For a balanced diet, the report recommends that, on average, the total fat intake should represent 15 to 30% of total dietary energy intake, and that free sugars such as those found in soft drinks should account for less than 10% of total energy intake. Furthermore, the report suggests that at least 400 grams of fruits and vegetables per day should be part of the diet. Recommendations for physical activity are a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate physical activity every day (such as brisk walking), while a higher level of physical activity can provide even greater benefits. About GreenFacts asbl/vzw GreenFacts asbl/vzw is an independent non-profit organisation based in Brussels that publishes faithful on-line summaries of authoritative scientific documents on environment and health matters in several languages. These summaries are presented as questions and answers in three levels of detail, making the scientific consensus easily accessible to non-specialists. GreenFacts was created in 2001 by individuals from scientific institutions, environment and health organisations, and businesses, who called for wider access to unbiased information on environment and health topics. For further details visit www.greenfacts.org or contact Sandra Nebe
|
Print
version 