Consumer organisation foodwatch has said that a new study that suggests that more than 20% of young people in Germany could be severely overweight in 25 years should be a ‘wake-up call’ for the new government.
foodwatch was commenting following the publication of a study in The Lancet, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Australian National Health and Medical Research Council, which found that on a global level, the combined prevalence of overweight and obesity in children and adolescents doubled between 1990 and 2021, and that of obesity alone tripled.
‘Not a gimmick’
“The new scientific analysis must be a wake-up call for our new federal government,” commented Luise Molling, health prevention expert at foodwatch, “Political measures against malnutrition and the diseases associated with it are not a gimmick, but urgently needed.”
Molling added that addressing the “epidemic of diet-related diseases” will require investment in education, and a better understanding of food preparation, such as more cooking classes in schools.
In addition, she noted, “the SPD and the CDU/CSU must agree on effective measures – from a ‘soda tax’ to age limits for dangerous energy drinks to free, healthy meals in daycare centres and schools. Countries like Great Britain are showing how it can be done and are restricting advertising for unhealthy foods and effectively reducing the sugar content in drinks. The federal government must follow suit.”
Read more: What is Europe’s fittest country?
‘Consistent change’
In January, ahead of the federal elections, foodwatch called on the incoming government to ‘initiate a consistent change’ in agricultural and food policy.
Measures the group recommended included removing VAT on fruit and vegetables, introducing an age limit for energy drinks, ensuring ‘fair and understandable’ food prices, and implementing protections limiting young people’s access to junk food advertising. Read more here.
