In the European Region, unhealthy diets are associated with over 1.5 million deaths from cardiovascular disease (CVD) each year (769 093 in men and 775 406 in women). Dietary risks are responsible for an estimated 37% of all CVD deaths in the region and almost 45% of all the years lost to CVD death or disability.
EHN advocates for healthy food environments in Europe that support cardiovascular health.
EHN’s recommended policy action at EU level includes setting nutrient profiles to underpin nutrition and health claims as required by the EC regulation on nutrition and health claims (EC) No 1924/2006, adopting rules on simplified front-of-pack nutritional labelling, and adopting regulations restricting all marketing to children, including digital, of food and drinks high in fat, salt and sugar.
In 2017, EHN published its paper on Transforming European food and drink policies for cardiovascular health, including a four-pager and summary version. Expert reviews of each subtopic can be found below.