Europe's obesity battle, a haphazard reality
EU states are alarmed at the bulging waistlines of their citizens, but governments remain unwilling to commit to binding measures or an EU-wide approach to the problem.
Feature
How Denmark led the way on 'sin taxes'
Denmark ditched their fat tax and cut levies on beer, but Danes still furnish health campaigners with the bulk of their evidence for "sin taxes" on unhealthy food and drink.
In cooperation with
Anti-HIV measures failing in EU, says WHO
Rates of infection have stayed constant for a decade in the EU, though there has been a massive surge in Russia apparently caused by drug users sharing needles.
Malta, Latvia, and Hungary top EU obesity charts
Age and poor education factor into high obesity rates, according to the EU's statistical office Eurostat. On Thursday, it released figures showing Malta is the most obese country, relative to other EU states.
The stress hormone and EU garden cities
European town planners still borrow from the “garden city” ideals of the 19th century, but they might be doing more harm than good.
Warning over Europe's sugar-guzzling habits
Europeans get through a huge amount of sugary drinks, causing serious risks to their health, a study backed by anti-obesity campaigners suggests. But southern Europe has seen a marked decline in consumption.
MDMA drug resurges in Europe
Over 2 million people, many of them young adults, have taken the synthetic drug in the last 12 months.
WHO: Europeans 'alarmingly' obese
The United Nations health agency estimated that 58.6 percent of Europeans are overweight, and 23 percent suffer from obesity.
Coal, oil, gas subsidies higher than public health spending
Around 1.6 million premature deaths would be prevented every year if the world's governments stopped subsidising fossil fuels, an IMF study has found.
Interview
EU 'will not compromise on health' in trade negotiations
EU health commissioner Vytenis Andruikaitis has said he intends to help member states face the challenges of chronic diseases.
HIV sweeps across eastern Europe amid economic crisis
HIV is spreading at a dangerous rate in nations around the Black Sea, with hotspots in Ukraine and Russia.
Obesity now considered a disability in EU law
Top EU judges in Luxembourg on Thursday ruled obesity can be considered a disability whenever it impacts on work performance.
Health experts wary of commission reshuffle
Medical experts fear an organisational reshuffle in the European Commission will prioritise the economics of health care over patients' well-being.
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EU health chiefs to debate entry screening for Ebola
EU health ministers will discuss the introduction of entry screening for potential Ebola carriers at a meeting in Brussels on Thursday.
Chronic diseases: forcing change in EU healthcare management
With a growing older population and an overall increase in chronic diseases, Europe is facing a new kind of health problem.
The worrying state of Europe's lungs
One of the most frequent chronic diseases in Europe is estimated to take the life of over 250 people worldwide every hour. Tobacco is the direct cause for most cases.
EU wakes up to its chronic disease problem
The European Union is beginning to take the problem of chronic diseases seriously.
Chronic diseases - the biggest killer in Europe
Over one third of the European population above the age of 15 have a chronic disease.
Obesity could qualify as disability, says EU court
Obesity may be considered a disability if it affects how a person does their job, the EU's top court said Thursday
Greece and creditors guilty of 'denialism' over public health crisis
Athens and its creditors are guilty of "denialism" about the scale of the public health crisis caused by the country's harsh austerity programme, medical researchers have claimed.
Heart of the matter: who owns your health data?
The metal box in Hugo Campos’ chest keeps him alive. It also collects data. Who owns it and how they use it is posing questions for EU lawmakers.
European health improvements unequal, WHO says
Europeans are living longer but health inequalities between men and women, countries and population segments are in some cases getting worse.
Drug supplies to EU crisis countries at risk, warn health analysts
Speculators are threatening the supply of medication to countries worst hit by the sovereign debt crisis, according to research by business analysts GlobalData.
Opinion
Mercury treaty: High time for action on health
The EU and other Western governments are putting children at risk by refusing to back a robust treaty on the safer use of mercury.
Spanish PM: 'We have no money for health or education'
The Spanish government on Friday approved €10 billion worth of spending cuts and increased fees for education and health.
Belgian trades EU for US to build Star Trek medical device
Belgian national Walter De Brouwer recently moved to Sillicon Valley to build a handheld medical device that monitors your health from a distance. Europeans are too cautious to make such devices, he says.
The EU and e-health: a European disease
Healthcare, strictly speaking, is none of the EU’s business. On e-health, therefore, much of the Brussels oeuvre consists of communications, recommendations, action plans, conferences and the odd pilot project. But even that seems too ambitious.
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