BERLIN - The German government has unveiled a $47 million (US) program to improve the health of German children and adults, its health ministry said. “This can only work if we anchor healthy behaviour and prevention in our social values, which is something that has been important to us for a long time,” Health Minister Ulla Schmidt said in a statement. About 37 million adults and two million children and teenagers are overweight, according to official figures. Some 1.4 million young Germans show symptoms of an eating disorder.

The health ministry said that illnesses due to poor nutrition and a lack of exercise cost the state 70 billion euros a year, compounding the problems created by Germany’s fast ageing population.

The “In Shape” program involves education on healthy eating and sports, tougher standards for school lunches, and voluntary measures for the sweets industry to stop targeting advertising at children under 12, and for clothing companies to stop using “obviously anorexic models.”

The opposition Green Party acknowledged that Germany has a problem with unhealthy living but called the measures “a smorgasbord of bureaucratic activities without any concrete action.”

Popularity: 19% [?]

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.