[{"command":"add_css","data":[{"rel":"stylesheet","media":"all","href":"\/sites\/default\/files\/css\/css_-kTcRwkqPhQLsqEvdSSyU2XZ3CV5VEleXoE3_xZi2cg.css?delta=0\u0026language=pl\u0026theme=hm_theme\u0026include=eJxLzi9K1U8pKi1IzNErSa0oSSxKTdQtSi3OrEoFAJQ3Cqw"}]},{"command":"openDialog","selector":"#drupal-modal","settings":null,"data":"\u003Cdiv id=\u0022republish_modal_form\u0022\u003E\u003Cform class=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form ecl-form\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 action=\u0022\/pl\/article\/modal\/15280\u0022 method=\u0022post\u0022 id=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 accept-charset=\u0022UTF-8\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHorizon articles can be republished for free under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.\u003C\/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003EYou must give appropriate credit. We ask you to do this by:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n      1) Using the original journalist\u0027s byline\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n      2) Linking back to our original story\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n      3) Using the following text in the footer: This article was originally published in \u003Ca href=\u0027#\u0027\u003EHorizon, the EU Research and Innovation magazine\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003ESee our full republication guidelines \u003Ca href=\u0027\/horizon-magazine\/republish-our-stories\u0027\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003EHTML for this article, including the attribution and page view counter, is below:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022js-form-item form-item js-form-type-textarea form-item-body-content js-form-item-body-content ecl-form-group ecl-form-group--text-area form-no-label ecl-u-mv-m\u0022\u003E\n        \n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n  \u003Ctextarea data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 aria-describedby=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 id=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 name=\u0022body_content\u0022 rows=\u00225\u0022 cols=\u002260\u0022 class=\u0022form-textarea resize-vertical ecl-text-area\u0022\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E Beyond \u2018eat less, move more\u2019: building the bigger picture on childhood obesity\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDr Eleftheria Vellidou believes childhood obesity in Europe has reached epidemic proportions, and the figures back her up. Around one in four children aged 7 to 9 in Europe are living with overweight, including obesity, according to the latest World Health Organization\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.who.int\/europe\/news\/item\/04-11-2025-childhood-obesity-and-overweight-remain-a-major-concern-across-the-region--new-who-report-finds\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EEurope survey\u003C\/a\u003E, which examined about 470\u0026nbsp;000 children in 37 countries.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERates climbed sharply for decades and have only recently levelled off, but experts still consider the figures alarming. Beyond the physical toll, obesity in childhood can bring bullying and stigma. It raises the long-term risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer and other serious illnesses, too.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EVellidou, a biomedical engineering researcher at the National Technical University of Athens, is a member of the team coordinating BIO-STREAMS, a four-year EU-funded research initiative involving experts from across Europe.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003ESeeing the bigger picture\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EObesity has complex biological, environmental, behavioural and genetic roots, yet many public discussions focus on food choices and physical activity alone.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe team is therefore drawing on colleagues from different disciplines, working with schools and healthcare professionals to understand why rates of childhood and adolescent obesity remain so high.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPart of the difficulty is that research on childhood obesity tends to be fragmented. Information gathered in one country or study can be hard to compare with data collected elsewhere.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhen we came together to study obesity as an epidemic, we realised we were missing a strong and robust framework that would allow researchers from different disciplines to collaborate,\u201d said Vellidou.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\u0022text-center text-blue font-bold text-2xl w-full lg:w-1\/2 border-2 border-blue p-12 my-8 lg:m-12 lg:-ml-16 float-left\u0022\u003E\n  \u003Cspan class=\u0022text-5xl rotate-180\u0022\u003E\u201c\u003C\/span\u003E\n  \u003Cp class=\u0022font-serif italic\u0022\u003EWe realised we were missing a strong and robust framework that would allow researchers from different disciplines to collaborate.\u003C\/p\u003E\n  \u003Cfooter\u003E\n    \u003Ccite class=\u0022not-italic font-normal text-sm text-black\u0022\u003EDr Eleftheria Vellidou, BIO-STREAMS\u003C\/cite\u003E\n  \u003C\/footer\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe answer was to build a shared resource large and consistent enough to reveal patterns no single country\u2019s data could show. The team is working across 15 European countries to create the EU\u2019s first dedicated childhood and adolescent obesity biobank, pulling together biological samples, health records, and behavioural and lifestyle data.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA biobank is a shared, organised store of samples and data that researchers can keep drawing on, rather than starting from scratch each time. Every partner gathers information to the same standard, so a result from a clinic in Athens, Greece, can be compared directly with one from Maribor, Slovenia.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis bigger pool of data, the researchers hope, will help them move beyond describing obesity and towards understanding what drives it and why it affects children so differently.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003ELooking beyond simple explanations\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EVellidou says this broader approach could help explain why some children are more vulnerable than others, and why some go on to develop serious health problems while others remain metabolically healthy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur target is to shed light on the causality of obesity,\u201d she said. \u201cTo do that, you need data that researchers can access in large quantities. We have the tools in place for researchers on related projects to participate and help expand the sample size.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBeyond collecting data, the researchers are developing tools to identify children at risk of adverse metabolic outcomes and support more personalised prevention and healthy living.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe digital platform will combine risk assessment with tailored recommendations for children and their families, shifting the focus away from the assumption that the answer is simply to eat less and exercise more.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003ESchools at the heart of change\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUnderstanding the problem also means looking at where children spend their time, so the researchers are working with schools and hospitals in several countries to explore how prevention and support can work in everyday life.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESchool pilots in Greece, Portugal, Slovenia, Denmark and the Netherlands are looking at ways to promote healthier habits while tackling the psychological difficulties associated with childhood obesity, including bullying and stigma.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAlongside these, seven hospitals in six countries are running clinical pilots, working directly with children and families as new approaches are developed and tested.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHaving both settings matters. Schools reach children early and in large numbers, while hospitals allow closer clinical tracking of those already identified as at risk. The clinical studies are now recruiting participants, while researchers analyse existing data and gather new information from the pilots in parallel.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhen someone is obese, the first thing people think is that they should eat less and that it\u2019s their fault,\u201d said Petra Van Haren, director of the European School Heads Association (ESHA) based in the Netherlands.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThere is blaming and shaming amongst kids, too. But every child has a right to be proud of themselves. Schools want children who are confident and like themselves the way they are. At the same time, they also want to support obesity prevention.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EESHA has members in 30 European countries, putting its headteachers in a strong position to influence school policies and, consequently, children\u2019s lives, on a large scale. Workshops in the five pilot countries let children take part in activities designed to promote movement, improve nutrition knowledge and encourage positive lifestyle choices.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe want to make a difference. Despite the large number of programmes that have run in schools, we haven\u2019t been able to make enough of a change,\u201d said Van Haren. \u201cWe are hopeful this project could tip it in the right direction.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESchool activities include workshops, games and challenges developed jointly by researchers and education specialists. School leaders want these approaches to become long-term policy that shapes the whole school day.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhatever we teach them in these fundamental years will really influence the rest of their lives,\u201d added Van Haren.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EBringing families on board\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESchools cannot do this alone, so families are also encouraged to take part through the Active Health app that uses games and interactive activities to teach children and parents about healthy habits.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA preliminary version was tested in Barcelona in May 2025 and is now being refined. The activities are kept simple, to encourage family participation without adding pressure on busy parents. One, for example, asks children and parents to plan a meal together.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\u0022text-center text-blue font-bold text-2xl w-full lg:w-1\/2 border-2 border-blue p-12 my-8 lg:m-12 lg:-ml-16 float-left\u0022\u003E\n  \u003Cspan class=\u0022text-5xl rotate-180\u0022\u003E\u201c\u003C\/span\u003E\n  \u003Cp class=\u0022font-serif italic\u0022\u003EWhatever we teach them in these fundamental years will really influence the rest of their lives.\u003C\/p\u003E\n  \u003Cfooter\u003E\n    \u003Ccite class=\u0022not-italic font-normal text-sm text-black\u0022\u003EPetra Van Haren, European School Heads Association\u003C\/cite\u003E\n  \u003C\/footer\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe fact of sitting down with your parents is already very positive,\u201d said Van Haren. \u201cIt\u2019s just a few minutes to talk about what you want to eat.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESmall, everyday moments like this sit at the heart of the project\u2019s approach to families. Rather than asking them to make sweeping changes, the aim is to build healthier choices into life as it already runs. The school teams also help families find local resources, such as sports facilities and playgrounds.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EStronger together\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBIO-STREAMS is part of\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/easo.org\/projects\/obeclust\/\u0022\u003EOBEClust\u003C\/a\u003E, a network of nine European obesity projects involving hundreds of researchers and tens of millions of euros in EU investment. For the researchers, that collaboration is essential to real progress against childhood obesity.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe team is already looking past the project\u2019s end in April 2027. The biobank and digital platform are designed to continue as shared resources for researchers, while a Community Network will connect families, schools, clinicians and policymakers, and help people find support locally.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt will also promote evidence-based information and reduce stigma through weight-neutral approaches that focus on health, not weight alone.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor the millions of children behind that one-in-four figure, the hope is that this research will help Europe move towards a better understanding of childhood obesity, and, ultimately, better ways of preventing and managing it.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EResearch in this article was funded by the EU\u2019s Horizon Programme. The views of the interviewees don\u2019t necessarily reflect those of the European Commission. 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