WHO response
Adopted by the World Health Assembly in 2004, the "WHO Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health" describes the actions needed to support healthy diets and regular physical activity. The Strategy calls upon all stakeholders to take action at global, regional and local levels to improve diets and physical activity patterns at the population level.
The Political Declaration of the High Level Meeting of the United Nations General Assembly on the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases of September 2011, recognizes the critical importance of reducing unhealthy diet and physical inactivity. The political declaration commits to advancing the implementation of the "WHO Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health", including, where appropriate, through the introduction of policies and actions aimed at promoting healthy diets and increasing physical activity in the entire population.
WHO has also developed the "Global Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases 2013-2020" which aims to achieve the commitments of the UN Political Declaration on Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) which was endorsed by Heads of State and Government in September 2011. The “Global Action Plan” will contribute to progress on 9 global NCD targets to be attained by 2025, including a 25% relative reduction in premature mortality from NCDs by 2025 and a halt in the rise of global obesity to match the rates of 2010.
In 2016 the World Health Assembly welcomed the report of the Commission on Ending Childhood Obesity and its 6 recommendations to address the obesogenic environment and critical periods in the life course to tackle childhood obesity. The Assembly requested the Director-General to develop an implementation plan to guide further action.