Evidence suggests that the shift away from meals produced from fresh produce to processed foods and ready meals which often contain high levels of hidden fats, salts and sugars is a major contributory factor. That is why accurate, responsible food labelling is so important. Not only does it help consumers make more informed choices, but it can also encourage manufacturers to improve the nutritional content of their meals. A major breakthrough on labelling was made last month with the adoption of the new EU Regulation on nutrition and health claims. The new law means that for the first time, all nutrition and health claims will have to stand up to scrutiny and some of the more ridiculous claims, such as "healthy" sweets, will hopefully disappear from the market. Nutritional profiles will help prevent consumers being misled into buying "low fat" yoghurt whose label fails to point out the high sugar content or "low salt" meal that does not mention the high fat levels. Responsible companies which are investing heavily in developing new, healthier products ranges, have everything to gain from this legislation which will help boost consumer confidence in their labels.

Over the coming months, the EU will examine other policy initiatives to encourage healthier eating habits as part of the debate on the European Commission "Green Paper on Promoting Healthy Diets and Physical Activity". The growing problem of childhood obesity is one of the main areas of concern flagged up by the Commission. At least one study suggests that the problem affected twice as many children in England in 2004 as it did in 1995. When celebrity chef Jamie Oliver put a spotlight on the dreadful quality of school meals in the UK last year, he sparked a national outcry and prompted a rapid government reaction, including a ban on chocolate and fizzy drinks in vending machines in schools from September. Perhaps other Member States are taking similar initiatives. But out of school matters too. Parents clearly have their role to play in ensuring children eat healthily, but one of the key and controversial questions for MEPs as they debate the Green Paper will be the role of advertising of food products to children and its impact on children's eating habits.

Product reformulation is another area where improvements in food quality can be made. Some countries such as Canada and Denmark have banned transfats in their food products. In the UK, a number of retailers are making big efforts to reduce salt and to increase the "fresh' content in their ready meals. We are also seeing some producers phasing out "supersize" products to discourage over-eating. Such efforts must be encouraged.

This debate at EU level is to be welcomed. If the debate on nutrition and health claims is anything to go by, we can expect it to be a tough one too. Not everyone welcomes action and the words "nanny state" were heard more than once in recent weeks as we discussed health claims. But tackling obesity is as much about hard economics as public health. Already, we are spending an estimated 7% of our EU health budget on obesity. Unless trends reverse, that can only rise. Taking action now could save a lot of money and, more importantly, a lot of lives in the long-term.

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