Milly Gaines
Improving European diets is essential to protect public health, as unhealthy diets are a leading contributor to non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer. European diets are often high in meat and dairy products, with excessive intake of saturated fat, trans fats, sugar, and salt, while lacking sufficient fruits and vegetables. This has led to high rates of obesity and NCDs. To address this, European countries are implementing policies to promote healthy food environments, reduce salt, fats, and sugars in diets, and improve nutrition education. Some countries are also shifting towards more plant-based diets, which can improve health and reduce environmental impact. These improvements in European diets aim to protect public health, reduce NCDs, and promote sustainable food consumption.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Reducing salt, fats, and sugars in the diet | Excessive consumption of energy, saturated fat, trans fats, sugar, and salt is common in Europe |
| Improving food environments | More effective than individual-focused measures like nutritional education |
| Promoting healthy and sustainable diets | Consume more legumes, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds; less meat, saturated fat, salt, sugar, and ultra-processed foods |
| Reducing diet-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs) | Obesity, cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers are major issues in Europe |
| Improving nutrition and diet policies | Requires engagement from multiple government sectors and action from both public and private sectors |
| Reducing promotion of unhealthy foods to children | High salt content in kids' meals; differences in nutrient content in kids' menus across fast-food chains |
| Improving food systems | Comprehensive actions by governments and the food industry are needed to improve food systems and population diets |
| Increasing consumption of fruits and vegetables | Average consumption among children in ten European countries was below the WHO goal of ≥400 g/d |
| Restricting food marketing | Improve provision of nutrition information and require reformulation of unhealthy food products |
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What You'll Learn
Reducing salt, fat, and sugar
Salt reduction is a critical aspect of improving European diets. High salt consumption, often unknowingly through processed foods, ready meals, and salty snacks, contributes to high blood pressure, increasing the risk of heart disease and stroke. Initiatives such as the National Reduction and Innovation Strategy aim to reduce salt in processed foods while maintaining taste and quality. The Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) in Germany is also working to reduce salt, along with sugar and fat, in processed foods targeted at children and adolescents.
Similarly, efforts to reduce fat intake are underway. The BMEL's holistic approach to nutrition policy focuses on lowering calorie intake while ensuring a balanced diet. This includes initiatives like using vegetable oils instead of animal oils and boiling or steaming instead of frying. Research is also being conducted on substitutes for saturated fat and palm oil in spreads.
Sugar reduction is another priority area. Free sugars, added by manufacturers or consumers, increase the risk of dental caries and contribute to unhealthy weight gain. The WHO recommends reducing free sugar intake to less than 10% of total energy intake, with additional benefits at less than 5%. Spain's National Food Reformulation Plan achieved reductions in added sugars ranging from 0.6% to 60%.
Overall, the improvements in European diets through reducing salt, fat, and sugar are helping to protect public health by lowering the risk of diet-related diseases, improving nutritional quality, and reducing the burden of NCDs. These initiatives are supported by various organizations and institutions, including government sectors, the food industry, and research institutes, to foster a healthier diet and better public health outcomes in Europe.
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Increasing fruit and vegetable consumption
Improving diets in Europe is a priority for the European Programme of Work 2020-2025 (EPW), which has been agreed upon by all 53 Member States of the WHO European Region. The programme aims to reduce non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers, which are largely caused by unhealthy diets, overweight, and obesity.
One way to improve European diets is to increase the consumption of fruits and vegetables. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the average consumption of fruits and vegetables among children in ten European countries was only between 220 and 345 grams per day, which is below the WHO-recommended goal of at least 400 grams per day.
To increase fruit and vegetable consumption, several actions can be taken:
- Governments can implement policies that promote healthy eating, such as subsidizing fruits and vegetables, taxing unhealthy food and beverages, and restricting the marketing of unhealthy food to children.
- Improving the provision of nutrition information can help individuals make healthier choices. This can be done through nutritional education campaigns or by requiring clear labelling on food products.
- Reformulating food products to reduce salt, sugar, and saturated fat content can also increase the consumption of healthier options.
- Making healthy and sustainable diets more accessible and available, such as by placing healthy products in prominent locations in retail outlets.
- Scientific advisors can play a crucial role in policymaking by providing evidence-based recommendations and analysing scientific findings.
By implementing these measures, Europe can improve the health and well-being of its citizens while also reducing the environmental impact of the food system.
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Promoting healthy food environments
Improving food environments has been found to be more effective in decreasing socioeconomic inequalities in diets and health than individual-focused measures (e.g. nutritional education, healthy eating campaigns). Some European countries have taken action to improve the healthiness of food environments. However, an integrated policy approach and replacing voluntary policies with effective restrictions to improve food environments are required.
The Healthy Food Environment Policy Index (Food-EPI) provides an 'upstream' perspective of the policies and infrastructure support systems that influence food environments and dietary choices for the prevention of obesity and non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The process of consultation with experts allowed an accurate picture of policy action and gaps and helped identify relevant and feasible policy actions for improvement.
Finland, for example, had the highest proportion of policies shaping food environments with a "high" level of implementation. Experts recommended immediate action on setting standards for nutrients of concern in processed foods, improving school food environments, fruit and vegetable subsidies, unhealthy food and beverage taxation, and restrictions on unhealthy food marketing to children.
To promote healthy food environments, new policy measures should make healthy and sustainable diets more available and accessible. This could include the prominent placement of healthy products in retail outlets. Governments should also restrict food marketing, improve the provision of nutrition information, require the reformulation of unhealthy food products, and raise standards for foods provided in public institutions.
Additionally, addressing dietary shifts towards more plant-based diets is crucial. Diets for Europeans are often too high in meat and dairy, with higher environmental footprints than plant-based alternatives. A shift towards plant-based diets would include consuming more legumes, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds, and less meat, especially red and processed meat, and fewer foods rich in saturated fat, salt, and sugar.
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Improving nutrition and diet policies
Policy Integration and Collaboration
An integrated, multi-sectoral approach is crucial for effective nutrition and diet policies. This involves collaboration across various government sectors, including health, agriculture, education, and the environment. Engaging both public and private sectors is essential to ensure successful policy development and implementation. For example, the WHO European Region has demonstrated the importance of involving multiple government sectors and stakeholders to address health issues related to nutrition and diets.
Standardising Nutritional Guidelines
Standardising nutritional guidelines and targets across Europe can help create a coherent framework for policy development. This includes setting mandatory maximum levels for sodium, saturated fats, and other nutrients of concern in processed and convenience foods. Standardisation can also extend to the implementation of consistent front-of-pack labelling to provide clear nutritional information to consumers.
Promoting Healthy and Sustainable Diets
Policies should encourage a shift towards healthy and sustainable diets, emphasising increased consumption of plant-based foods, such as legumes, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. Reducing meat intake, especially red and processed meat, is recommended, along with lowering the consumption of saturated fat, salt, sugar, and ultra-processed foods. Sustainable sourcing of animal-based foods, such as fish and seafood, should also be promoted.
Policy Implementation and Monitoring
While policy development is crucial, effective implementation and monitoring are equally important. Mechanisms should be established to track the progress of policy implementation and evaluate its impact on dietary behaviours and health outcomes. This includes assessing the effectiveness of policies in different countries and contexts to identify best practices and address gaps. The Healthy Food Environment Policy Index (Food-EPI) is an example of a tool used to assess policy implementation and identify areas for improvement.
Addressing Socioeconomic Inequalities
Policies should aim to reduce socioeconomic inequalities in access to healthy foods. This can be achieved by making healthy and sustainable diets more available and affordable, such as through prominent placement of healthy products in retail outlets and subsidies for fruits and vegetables. Addressing socioeconomic disparities can have a significant impact on improving diets and health outcomes for disadvantaged groups.
Restricting Unhealthy Food Marketing
Marketing of unhealthy foods, especially to children, should be restricted. This includes limiting the promotion of convenience meals, fast food, and sugary drinks that are high in sodium, saturated fats, and added sugars. Implementing taxation on unhealthy food and beverages can also discourage their consumption and generate revenue for health promotion initiatives.
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Reducing diet-related non-communicable diseases
Diet-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are a major cause of death in the WHO European Region, and unhealthy diets, overweight and obesity contribute to a large proportion of these diseases. To reduce the burden of these diseases, improvements in European diets are necessary.
One way to improve European diets is to increase the consumption of plant-based foods. Diets in Europe are often too high in meat and dairy products, which have higher environmental footprints than plant-based alternatives. A shift towards a plant-based diet can include consuming more legumes, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds, as well as sustainably sourced fish and seafood. Additionally, reducing the intake of red and processed meat, saturated fat, salt, sugar, and ultra-processed foods is recommended. This not only improves health but also reduces the environmental impact of food production.
Another strategy to improve European diets is to address food marketing and product reformulation. Restricting the marketing of unhealthy foods, especially to children, is crucial. Improving the provision of nutrition information and requiring the reformulation of unhealthy products can help consumers make healthier choices. Setting maximum levels for sodium, saturated fats, and sugars in processed foods can also improve the healthiness of European diets.
Furthermore, creating healthy food environments is essential. This includes improving the healthiness of food in schools, workplaces, and public institutions. Implementing taxation on unhealthy foods and beverages can also encourage healthier choices. Policies that support the prominent placement of healthy products in retail outlets can increase the availability and accessibility of nutritious options.
It is also important to recognise that improving diets requires a multisectoral approach involving both public and private sectors. Governments, the food industry, and other stakeholders must work together to improve food systems and population diets. This includes addressing the social and cultural determinants of dietary behaviours and ensuring that healthy and sustainable food is affordable and desirable.
In conclusion, reducing diet-related NCDs in Europe requires a combination of individual behaviour changes, improvements in food environments, and policy interventions. By increasing the consumption of plant-based foods, reducing unhealthy components of diets, and creating supportive food environments, it is possible to improve European diets and protect public health.
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Frequently asked questions
Unhealthy diets are a major contributor to noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers, which are the leading causes of death in the WHO European Region. Poor nutrition, excessive consumption of energy, saturated fat, trans fats, sugar, and salt, as well as low consumption of fruits and vegetables, can lead to obesity, reduced life expectancy, and a lower quality of life.
The WHO and experts in the field have recommended several measures to improve diets and protect public health:
- Restricting food marketing, especially to children
- Improving nutrition information on food products
- Reformulating unhealthy food products to reduce salt, sugar, and saturated fat content
- Raising standards for foods provided in public institutions, such as schools
- Using economic tools to influence consumption patterns, such as taxing unhealthy food and beverages
- Increasing the availability and accessibility of healthy and sustainable foods
- Encouraging a shift towards more plant-based diets with higher consumption of legumes, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds
Policies play a crucial role in shaping food environments and dietary choices. The implementation of effective policies can help reduce socioeconomic inequalities in diets and health. Some European countries have taken action, but an integrated policy approach is needed to improve food environments and reduce the burden of obesity and NCDs. The WHO European Food and Nutrition Action Plan 2015-2020 and other initiatives aim to provide guidance and support to Member States to promote healthy nutrition and reduce diet-related NCDs.
