World Obesity Day: EU-funded projects helping to fight childhood and adolescent obesity

4 March marks World Obesity Day. Obesity poses significant health risks and burdens healthcare systems. It is also linked to an increased risk in type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.  

Check out how EU-funded projects under HaDEA’s remit are helping to fight childhood and adolescent obesity.  

EU4Health  

• PODiaCar is developing a predictive model and screening tool to assess the risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases in children with obesity. The project’s data will feed into a predictive digital twin which will be capable of tracking risk reduction for the aforementioned diseases. 
• DUSE is developing and promoting new educational protocols for children and adolescents to increase the level of awareness on the maintenance of good lifestyles to counteract the onset of diabetes. The approach also includes the development of a mobile app with a gamified virtual world to further motivate healthy habits and physical activity. 
• RYHEALTH is focusing on physical activity, balanced diets and good mental health at primary and secondary school level. The project reaches children of different socio-economic backgrounds and is designed to also involve teachers and parents, thus having an intergenerational impact. 
• Schools4Health is working together with schools across the EU to select, transfer, implement and evaluate best practices in the areas of healthy food, physical activity and mental health. All training materials, including a concise tool for policymakers and practitioners, will be included in an online hub ‘Schools for Health and Wellbeing’.
• Health4EUKids is a Joint Action implementing best practices and research results on healthy lifestyles in hard-to-reach low-income communities in the EU. The project is identifying concrete challenges in the prevention of non-communicable diseases and policy solutions for collective action among EU countries.
• PREVENTIA is improving health literacy of younger generations through training on healthy eating habits and childhood obesity. The training, networking and awareness-raising programme aims to reduce health inequalities across the EU, prevent non-communicable diseases and foster cooperation between EU countries.

HaDEA has also signed a contract for an EU4Health study to evaluate the progress in the key areas in the Action Plan on Childhood Obesity. The study will provide an overview of the efforts carried out by the EU countries during the period 2014 – 2020. 

Horizon Europe 

PREVENT is addressing childhood obesity to enhance cancer prevention. The project is working on identifying and overcoming barriers to the effective implementation of interventions to address childhood obesity. These interventions are being tested in Living Labs, environments where children, parents, and educators co-develop and test strategies to improve nutrition, physical activity, and food literacy. Greece, Catalonia (Spain), and Sweden have been selected as pilot locations, serving as testbeds for innovative solutions. The ultimate goal is to reduce the risk of cancer in adulthood and enhance primary interventions for weight control in youth through regular physical activity and a nutritious balanced diet in an educational setting.  

Background 

EU4Health is the fourth and largest of the EU health programmes. The EU4Health programme goes beyond an ambitious response to the COVID-19 crisis to address the resilience of European healthcare systems. The programme provides funding to national authorities, health organisations and other bodies through grants and public procurement, contributing to a healthier Europe. HaDEA manages the vast majority of the total EU4Health budget and implements the programme by managing calls for proposals and calls for tenders.   

Horizon Europe is the research and innovation programme of the EU for the period 2021-2027. The aims of Cluster 1 ‘Health’ include improving and protecting the health and well-being of citizens of all ages by generating new knowledge, developing innovative solutions and integrating where relevant a gender perspective to prevent, diagnose, monitor, treat and cure diseases. Horizon 2020 (H2020) was the EU’s multiannual funding programme between 2014 and 2020.