The role of public health organisations in addressing obesity in Europe

This article reviews the role of public health organisations in addressing obesity in nine European countries (England, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Republic of Moldova, Slovenia and Sweden). It finds that public health organisations contribute to issue recognition and the monitoring of obesity prevalence, but that recognition of obesity as a pressing public health challenge varies widely across countries. This is partly due to the influence of the food industry that works to undermine meaningful public health action, such as through public-private partnerships or more covert methods. Public health organisations should aim to address this interference.