Food industry welcomes discussion in the Bundestag on combating obesity

Commentary by Prof. Dr. Matthias Horst, Chief Executive of the Federation for Food Law and Food Science (BLL), on the discussion of Federal Minister Renate Künast

The German food industry welcomes the broad debate on the causes, prevention and effective solutions to obesity in children and adolescents, which was launched again in the Bundestag on June 17, 2004. Since this is a multifactorial problem of importance to society as a whole, the problem of overweight can only be successfully combated if all social actors pull together and act together. There are already a wealth of initiatives for better nutrition education and the promotion of physical activity, also on the part of the food industry. Now it is time to bundle all these measures and to look for a sustainable solution for society as a whole on a scientific basis. The food industry will continue to vigorously pursue the projects it has already initiated.

However, focusing the discussion on individual foods, as was often the case in the past, does not do justice to the complex topic - this is also shown by scientific work. The Kiel Obesity Prevention Study shows that normal and overweight children hardly differ in their nutritional patterns. A survey of more than 6800 children starting school in Bavaria came to similar conclusions: Overweight children do not eat certain foods more often, such as chocolate and crisps. In addition, consumption studies in Germany show that the consumption of grain products, fruit and vegetables has tended to develop positively in accordance with the recommendations of nutritional science. The calorie intake of children and adolescents has also not increased, as the Donald study in Dortmund shows. On the other hand, calorie consumption has decreased significantly due to reduced physical activity. This results in a problem in the energy balance.

With regard to increasing obesity, it is evident that certain consumer groups in particular are not sufficiently familiar with the relationship between energy intake and consumption, despite many measures. Here it is important to start in a targeted manner and to strengthen personal responsibility. The food industry will continue to contribute to the development of sustainable solutions.

Source: Bonn [bll]