The role of public health organisations in addressing obesity in Europe

Obesity and overweight are among the greatest public health challenges in the WHO European Region; they are among the main risk factors associated with the rise of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). Prevalence rates of obesity have more than doubled in Europe in the last decade. This article reviews the involvement of public health organisations in policies aiming to address the challenge of obesity in nine selected European countries (England, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Republic of Moldova, Slovenia and Sweden), based on detailed country reports that describe the policy response and the involvement of public health organisations in different stages of the policy cycle.