Brush Up Your English |
The number of overweight schoolchildren in Europe is rising at an alarming rate, adding to an already critical obesity problem, according to figures released on Tuesday (15 March) by the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF). The survey shows that the number of overweight schoolchildren is rising by 400,000 per year, joining the already 14 million overweight people in the EU.
number – počet overweight – s nadváhou, nadváha to rise – zvýšit se at an alarming rate – alarmující rychlostí to add – dodat, přidat already - již according to – podle figures – čísla, údaje to release – zveřejnit survey – výzkum schoolchildren – děti školního věku to join – přiřadit, přidat se k čemu/komu
The EU's health commissioner, Markos Kyprianou, has described the situation as "an obesity epidemic". Launching the 'EU Platform on Diet, Physical Activity and Health' in Brussels, the Commissioner warned that "the situation keeps getting worse". Although the number of obese people in Europe has been rising for many years, the rate of increase amongst children is especially alarming - with Poland and the UK seeing the sharpest increases. Levels in the UK are now approaching the levels seen in the US. Amongst adults in Europe, obesity rates range from 10-27 percent in men and up to 38 percent in women. The corresponding figures in the US stand at 28 percent for men and 34 percent in women. But some countries - Finland, Germany, Greece, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Malta - have already surpassed the overweight rates in the US.
health – zdraví to describe – popsat to launch – začít, odstartovat, spustit diet – dieta, potrava, životospráva to warn – varovat to keep getting worse – zhoršovat se although – ačkoli rate – míra increase – zvýšení, nárůst especially – zvláště sharpest - nejprudší level – hodnota to approach – přiblížit se amongst – mezi adult – dospělý to range from – to – pohybovat se od – do corresponding – odpovídající to surpass – převýšit, překročit
Fighting obesity through information
The aim is not to eliminate any food, the Commissioner emphasised, but to inform people on how much they should consume and to encourage the food industry to come up with "healthy food products, just as tasty". There are not yet any concrete objectives for reducing obesity, Mr Kyprianou said, adding that "the target is to reduce it (obesity) as much as possible". However, he did not exclude the possibility of legislation on the matter at a later stage, saying, "my target is not to legislate, but to have self-regulation". Being overweight or obese increases, amongst others, the risk of cardiovasular diseases, which are the main cause of death in Europe.
aim – cíl to eliminate – odstranit to emphasise – zdůraznit to inform on – informovat o to encourage – povzbudit to come up with – přijít s čím tasty – chutný just as tasty – stejně chutný yet – ještě objective – cíl, plán to reduce – snížit to add – dodat however – nicméně to exclude – vyloučit possibility – možnost legislation – uzákonění matter – záležitost at a later stage – v pozdější fázi main – hlavní cause – příčina
Připravuje Markéta Frýbová