European regional consultation of the WHO Commission on Ending Childhood Obesity

WHO Director-General, Dr Margaret Chan, established the Commission on Ending Childhood Obesity with a mandate to advise WHO and governments on the effective strategies available to tackle childhood and adolescent obesity in different contexts around the world. The Commission was tasked with producing a report specifying which policy approaches and combinations of interventions will be most effective, with the recommendations to be conveyed to the World Health Assembly.

In advance of issuing its final recommendations, the Commission has been undertaking a series of regional consultations with WHO Member States to learn from their experience. As the basis for these consultations, the Commission developed an interim report, which identifies key issues such as the importance of taking a life-course approach through targeted interventions and by addressing risk factors and environmental drivers. The Government of Malta will host the European regional consultation in October 2015, with more details to follow soon.

The outcomes of the consultation with European Member States will contribute to the final recommendations of the Commission. It will also help to ensure that European-specific information on the magnitude and determinants of childhood obesity is covered, and that regional experience and expertise in surveillance, policy design and implementation is captured.