Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) account for approximately 1.8 million avoidable deaths in the WHO European Region every year, with unhealthy diets and overweight and obesity among the leading modifiable risk factors. Rates of overweight and obesity remain high across many countries, affecting both adults and children and contributing to cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer and other chronic conditions. At the same time, socioeconomic inequalities, aggressive marketing of unhealthy products and increasingly complex food environments continue to undermine healthy choice.
Addressing these challenges is central to the WHO second European Programme of Work 2026–2030 and for the Division of Prevention and Health Promotion (PHP) at WHO/Europe, which works to strengthen upstream action on behavioural, commercial and environmental factors that impact health.
Against this backdrop, WHO/Europe will convene a workshop in Copenhagen to examine how Denmark’s leadership in nutrition research, policy and civil society engagement can further advance evidence-based food environment action across the European Region. The meeting will bring together representatives from government, academia and civil society to align research priorities with policy needs and advocacy efforts, with a focus on reducing obesity and diet-related NCDs. This meeting will include participation from both the Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity Programme and the Behavioural and Cultural Insights Team in the PHP division.
Denmark is recognized for its strong research institutions, progressive nutrition policies and active civil society. As countries across the Region seek to accelerate implementation of effective measures to address food environment issues, including fiscal policies, marketing restrictions and community-level interventions, there is growing demand for closer collaboration between researchers, policy-makers and advocates.
Discussions will address national and regional leadership in nutrition policy; alignment of fiscal measures with food-based dietary guidelines; the use of dietary and trade data to inform decision-making; regulation of unhealthy food marketing, particularly to children; food insecurity and equity considerations; and the application of behavioural and cultural insights to strengthen communication and policy uptake.
The workshop will identify priority research gaps, explore opportunities for collaboration and reinforce Denmark’s contribution to advancing comprehensive, evidence-informed food environment policies in the WHO European Region.