One of the most serious health challenges of the 21st century is obesity. In order to fight obesity and establish an environment that supports positive health behaviour and healthy lifestyle a number of European initiatives have been introduced. The European Platform for Action on Diet, Physical Activity and Health  was created in 2005 and regularly encourages studies and publications on health and lifestyle. The latest project 'The HELENA Study'  in 2009 turned its attention to the fitness levels of adolescents in Europe. HELENA - another EU acronym-  stands for Healthy Lifestyle in Europe by Nutrition in Adolescents! Researchers from 8 European universities and research institutes assessed muscular and aerobic fitness, speed, agility and flexibility in almost 3500 adolescents aged between 12-18 years in 10 European cities. Nine common and well standardised fitness tests were used to provide harmonised measurements of physical fitness in European adolescents according to age and sex. These normative values could help individuals to rank their fitness on a scale from 1-10 and motivate youngsters to develop their fitness so they can progress up the scale. They could also be used to identify young people with very low fitness levels who may need further investigation of the risk factors for cardiovascular disease in young people. The data obtained from the study have been analysed to understand the relationship between the risk factors for cardiovascular disease and physical fitness. Obviously, aerobic fitness is not only good for the heart but also has a positive effect on depression, anxiety, mood status, self-esteem and appears to be associated higher academic performance.It is encouraging that nearly 60% of European adolescents a have level of aerobic fitness that is associated with a low risk of heart disease.While this is to be welcomed it means that 40% of adolescents need to be made aware of the increased future risk of heart disease and encouraged to improve their fitness levels and change their lifestyles.

Looking around British cities one wonders whether the 40% of unfit European boys and girls are all living in the British Isles? As no British university took part in the research project it raises several questions: Why were no British universities involved?  Were they  not invited or is our research here into the consequences of obesity more advanced than that in continental Europe??  The British public is certainly made aware of the risks of obesity for pregnant women. The National Obesity Forum (NOF) which recommends regular weigh-ins of pregnant women and warns of the dangers to women's and babies' health from maternal obesity tries to exert pressure on the government to take the problem seriously,  but are we conducting studies comparable to the Helena Project on children and adolescentsi n Britain?

Further information from: www.eufic.org and www.helenastudy.com