Nutrition and diet for healthy lifestyles in Europe: The Eurodiet evidence

This supplement contains the papers which have served as the basis for the development of the European guidelines for healthy diets and lifestyles, known as EURODIET. These, intended as a framework to enable the member states to develop and effectively implement their own national dietary guidelines, have been published earlier on this year. The EURODIET initiative was commissioned by DG SANCO/G/3 (formerly DGV/F/3) within the Health Promotion Programme, which is part of the EU Community Action Programme*, and has been cofunded by the Ministry of Health, Greece. The important policy implications of the EURODIET initiative were fully recognised by all partners involved, which included various directorates of the European Commission, representatives of relevant UN agencies (WHO and FAO), non-governmental organisations, consumers, health practitioners, agricultural producers, and food industry. Thus, great care was applied to ensure that the process leading to the guidelines would be science-based, transparent, and totally independent. A scientific Steering Committee was established, and four working groups, or Working Parties (WP1 to WP4), were created which, under the leadership of the Steering Committee, undertook to examine the four separate but inter-related facets of the issue, namely Health & Nutrients (WP1), Nutrients & Foods (WP2), Foods & People (WP3), and People & Policies (WP4). Scientific papers were commissioned to provide the state of the art in each of these areas. The entire EURODIET process and its policy conclusions and implications have been repeatedly reviewed by internal as well as external referees, and debated in encounters with representatives of all categories of stakeholders. The scientific conclusions and policy recommendations were further debated at the open consultation meeting that took place in the Crete Conference in May 2000, and a consensus achieved following this by the Eurodiet Steering Committee. On the whole, the papers collected in this supplement have provided a most precious guidance throughout the EURODIET process and have ensured and guaranteed its scientific basis. The first group of papers are those that have been produced for Working Party 1, and are here displayed under the title: `European Diet and Public Health: the continuing challenge'. These 19 papers offer an updated overview of the best scientific evidence available on the causal nature of nutrient/health associations and their mechanisms, illustrate the current European burden of dietary-related diseases, evaluate the quality of the information available, weigh the strength of the evidence, and attempt, wherever possible, an evaluation of the costs. These papers cover the most serious and/or prevalent health conditions, such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, obesity, osteoporosis, iron deficiency disorders, iodine deficiency disorders, and dental caries. Other papers discuss population genetic variations and explore the influence it can have in shaping the individual's susceptibility to dietary risk factors. While recognising that genetic variations can result in different responses to specific nutrients, it is concluded that population genetic screening does not appear a viable and effective alternative. Other papers, finally, focus on specific subgroups of population, such as infants, elderly, the pregnant woman and immigrants. One paper is fully dedicated to breastfeeding, and one to the health benefits of physically active styles of life. Two other papers examine the multiple roles played by two important nutrients (selenium and folate) in human health. The second group of papers, produced for Working Party 2, proposes rational approaches for the formulation of food-based dietary guidelines. The report of this working party highlighted the need for more scholarly derivation of food based dietary guidelines (FBDG). Recommending an increased consumption of one food Public Health Nutrition: 4(2B), 437±438 DOI: 10.1079/PHN2001165