Spain’s battle to fight the flab

10 February 2005

MADRID – Spain is to cut the amount of fat, sodium and salt allowed in food in an effort to fight obesity, particularly among children.

The regulations will affect all food but will also be targeted at snacks sold from vending machines which are easily accessible to children, the Minister for Health Elena Salgado said.

Salgado said: “The number of Spaniards who are overweight is alarming.”

Obesity has been described as the World Health Organisation (WHO) as the epidemic of the 21st Century.

In order to deal with the problem in time, Salgado said the government was working with 80 organisations and eight working groups.

They had devised a plan for nutrition, physical activity and to prevent obesity.

The object of the plan was to improve the eating habits of Spaniards, particularly those of children.

There are one billion people in the world who are overweight and at least 300 million are obese, according to the WHO.

In Spain, 14.5 percent of adults are obese, while the figure among those aged between two and 24, was 13.9 percent.

Obesity causes hypertension, diabetes, some types of cancer and heart problems.

The government will develop plans for people to cut their own weight and introduce regulations to cut down the sale of fatty foods.

[Copyright EFE with Expatica]

Subject: Spanish news