Halting the (Youth) Obesity Epidemic

February 12th, 2014

A Dutch delegation with members of public and private partners from the food industry and retailers visited Philadelphia and New York between 14 -18 October to learn how healthy eating and active living are promoted.

Marc Jansen, director of the Dutch Food Retail Association, and actively involved with the board of Choices Netherlands, gave an introduction about Choices to the Philadelphia Department of Public Health. Marc Jansen stated that “The so-called food deserts in the United States are worrying. The more difficult it is to access healthy foods, whether from a supermarket or corner store, the less likely it is that you will have a balanced diet. In the Netherlands it is much easier to make healthy choices. We have over 6500 products bearing a healthy food logo in the Netherlands. We really encourage the food industry to develop healthy innovations and help consumers to easily identify and select healthier options.”