Urgent Action Needed from the EU to Combat Rising Obesity and Related Diseases
Urgent Call for Action Against Obesity in the EU
As obesity rates soar across Europe, particularly impacting individuals under the age of 50, the correlation between weight issues and increasing cases of digestive diseases and cancers has become alarmingly evident. Recent discussions spearheaded by United European Gastroenterology (UEG) have highlighted the urgent need for preventative measures and government intervention in tackling this public health crisis.
On June 5, 2025, a crucial event titled Connecting the Dots: Obesity, Digestive Diseases, and Cancers was held at the European Parliament. Here, policymakers, healthcare professionals, and public health leaders came together to confront this growing issue. In her opening remarks, Member of the European Parliament Romana Jerković emphasized the severity of the crisis, noting that nearly 60% of Europeans and one in three children are living with overweight or obesity. She stated, "Investing in prevention is not just good health policy; it is smart economics."
Despite this grave situation, support for non-communicable diseases (NCDs)—which account for 90% of deaths in the EU—receives a mere 2.8% of the healthcare budget. MEP Alessandra Moretti highlighted the disparity and called for increased funding for research and early screening initiatives.
Dr. Kremlin Wickramasinghe from WHO Europe warned that obesity is now the leading cause of disability in the continent, contributing to around 20,000 new cancer cases each year. He stressed that voluntary guidelines are simply insufficient in addressing such a multifaceted issue.
Scientific findings presented during the event underscored the strong relationship between obesity and various digestive cancers. Professors Patrick Michl and Thomas Seufferlein discussed how excess weight fosters conditions conducive to cancer through chronic inflammation and metabolic dysfunction. Meanwhile, Dr. Jorge Amil Dias explained the long-term burden of childhood obesity.
The call for a multidisciplinary, patient-centered approach to obesity treatment brought forth by Professor Volkan Demirhan Yumuk resonated with attendees. Discussions led by Professor Patrizia Burra explored how evidence-based science can be translated into effective public policies. MEP Tomislav Sokol from the European People's Party argued that obesity is not an individual defect, but a societal problem. He advocated for a comprehensive EU-wide strategy similar to tobacco control measures, urging for stricter regulations on food marketing, special taxes across the EU, better access to therapies like semaglutide, early detection of liver diseases, and structured post-cancer weight management interventions.
Moreover, the acknowledgment of obesity as a chronic and multifactorial disease requiring specialized care was a unanimous sentiment shared by the speakers. During an open Q&A segment, attendees urged decision-makers to merge scientific evidence with lived experience, particularly from those facing lifelong health challenges.
Closing the event, MEP Jerković reiterated the importance of acting on the presented statistics, stating, “Numbers represent lives, and today we took the first steps to connect the dots; now it’s time to act.” With this rallying cry, the urgency to thwart the growing obesity epidemic in Europe became palpably clear, necessitating immediate and coordinated efforts from all concerned parties.