Turning the Tide on Obesity, Digestive Diseases and Cancers: EU Urged to Act Now
BRUSSELS, June 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Obesity is fuelling a sharp rise in digestive diseases and cancers across Europe, particularly among people under 50, where stigma and low awareness delay early diagnosis. In response, United European Gastroenterology (UEG) hosted Connecting the Dots: Obesity, Digestive Diseases and Cancers at the European Parliament on 5 June. The event brought together policymakers, clinicians, patient advocates, and public health leaders to push for urgent, coordinated action.
Opening the event, MEP Romana Jerković, Chair of the MEP Digestive Health Group, underscored the scale of the crisis. "Nearly 60% of Europeans and one in three children are overweight or obese," she said. "Investing in prevention is not only good health policy; it's smart economics." She advocated for binding, citizen-focused measures and greater political commitment.
MEP Alessandra Moretti noted that non-communicable diseases (NCDs) account for 90% of EU deaths but receive just 2.8% of health budgets. She emphasised the need for enhanced screening and increased research funding.
In a keynote address, Dr. Kremlin Wickramasinghe of WHO Europe warned that obesity is now Europe's leading cause of disability and contributes to 20,000 new cancer cases annually. He urged enforceable, system-wide measures, stressing that voluntary guidelines are insufficient.
Scientific presentations reinforced obesity's link to digestive cancers. Professors Patrick Michl and Thomas Seufferlein explained how excess weight drives cancer through chronic inflammation and metabolic dysfunction. Dr. Jorge Amil Dias addressed the lifelong burden of childhood obesity, while Professor Volkan Demirhan Yumuk called for person-first, multidisciplinary care.
Professor Patrizia Burra, Chair of the UEG Public Affairs Group, transitioned the discussion to translating scientific evidence into policy. MEP Tomislav Sokol of the European People's Party stressed that obesity is a societal issue, not an individual failing, calling for an EU-wide, all-of-society approach similar to tobacco control. Panellists called for stricter regulation of food marketing, EU-wide excise duties, broader access to therapies like semaglutide, early liver disease screening, and structured post-cancer weight management. Crucially, they urged recognition of obesity as a chronic, multifactorial disease requiring multidisciplinary care.
During an open Q&A, attendees urged policymakers to combine scientific evidence with lived experience, particularly from those managing lifelong conditions.
MEP Jerković took this on board immediately, closing the event with a call to action: "Statistics are never just numbers; they represent lives. Today we started connecting the dots—now we must act."
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