Nutrition and Physical Activity: Health Information Sources in Eu Member States, and Activities in the Commission, Who, and European Networks

Description

• Assembles findings from the World Health Organization, the EU, various European networks, and national health institutions
• Project associated with the European Commission
• Contributors drawn from Germany, Italy, Sweden, and United Kingdom
• Provides recommendations for future health information activities on physical activity and nutrition
• Physical Activity and Nutrition

Health Information Activities of the EU, WHO, other European Networks, and National Examples

Edited by

• Nicole Wolfram, Technische Universität Dresden, Germany
• Michael Rigby, Keele University, United Kingdom
• Rosa Guiseppa Frazzica, Centro per la Formazione Permanente e l'Aggiornamento del Personale del Servizio Sanitario (CEFPAS), Italy
• Wilhelm Kirch, Technische Universität Dresden, Germany

Many health information activities related to nutrition and physical activity have been initiated by various institutions and European networks during the past years. This report assembles findings from the World Health Organization, the EU, various European networks, and national health institutions to create a coordinated health database focusing specifically on physical activity and nutrition. The central role of these factors in long-term health and illness underscores the importance of these data to each nation’s health status, and to the current state of its health monitoring, and reporting. This report provides recommendations for future health information activities on physical activity and nutrition. Whether the goal is identifying risk populations or heightening awareness of public health issues.

This comprehensive volume:

• Provides health data for EU member states and candidate countries, as well as the European Economic Area.
• Analyses health trends and the effectiveness of current programs by country.
• Reviews data collection methods and features a full analysis of the database.
• Pinpoints emerging and unresolved health issues and offers recommendations for future initiatives and study.

Physical Activity and Nutrition offers salient reading to professionals in public health, health promotion, international and global health, and disease prevention. Policymakers and others involved in the standardization of health and health awareness programs will especially be interested in this book.

Reviews:

"Nutrition and Physical Activity offers an overview on health information activities related to nutrition and physical activity projects conducted in European countries and initiated between 1990 and 2006. … The book is of interest to primarily European public health, health promotion, international health and disease prevention, and occupational health professionals as well as policy makers. … The book provides recommendations for future health information activities involving nutrition and physical activity. … is well organized, written, and referenced."
(Judy A. Driskell, Journal of the American Medical Association, March, 2009)

Table of contents

1. Background and Purpose.-
2. List of Contributors and Authors.-
3. Objective.-
4. Background Information.-
1. Defining Concepts.-
2. Geographical Coverage.-
5. Methods.-
1. DG’s at the European Commission.-
2. WHO Section.-
3. European Networks.-
4. National data .-
6. Results.-
1. Analysis and Report on Health Information Activities on Physical Activity and Nutrition; The European Commission (DG SANCO).-
1. Introduction.-
2. A Health Information System.-
3. Community Action in the Field of Public Health.-
4. In Summary.-
2. World Health Organisation (Europe) Position and Activities on Measurement of Nutrition and Physical Exercise.-
1. Introduction - In The Respective Roles of the WHO and the EC in Europe.-
2. The WHO and the Rising Challenge of Overweight and Obesity.-
3. The Total Population, Adults, and Children and Adolescents.-
4. The WHO and Measurement of Nutrition.-
5. The WHO and Measurement of Physical Activity.-
6. The WHO and Major Non-Communicable Disease Risk Factors.-
7. Health Behaviour of School Children.-
8. The WHO European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative .-
9. The WHO European Ministerial Conference 2006.-
10. Summary.-
3. European Networks.-
4. National Examples.-
1. Introduction.-
2. Country profile sheets.-
3. Database entries.-
7. Conclusions and Recommendations.

Author

Wilhelm Kirch is Chair of the Institute for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics at the Medical Faculty of Dresden University of Technology. He is a past president of the European Public Health Association. He published Extreme Weather Events and Public Health Responses (2005) with Springer, and he is editor of our forthcoming Encyclopedia of Public Health (2008).