{"id":3274,"date":"2025-10-17T14:30:24","date_gmt":"2025-10-17T14:30:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/?p=3274"},"modified":"2025-10-17T14:31:18","modified_gmt":"2025-10-17T14:31:18","slug":"linking-diet-and-health-europes-drive-to-curb-cardiovascular-diseases-and-obesity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/3274\/linking-diet-and-health-europes-drive-to-curb-cardiovascular-diseases-and-obesity\/","title":{"rendered":"Linking diet and health: Europe\u2019s drive to curb cardiovascular diseases and obesity"},"content":{"rendered":"

From calorie counting glasses to healthy-eating video games for children, EU-funded researchers are developing new approaches in support of healthy lifestyles and eating habits.<\/p>\n

By<\/em> Michaela Nesvarova<\/p>\n

One of the biggest challenges in studying how diet impacts disease is understanding what people really eat. Food diaries and surveys are still the standard tools,\u00a0but they often fall short as people forget, misjudge portions, or play down less healthy choices.<\/p>\n

To tackle this, EU-funded researchers are testing something new: a discreet wearable camera paired with AI. The system can automatically detect food types and estimate portion sizes in real time,\u00a0offering a sharper and more dependable picture of daily eating habits.<\/p>\n

Picture a morning routine. You open the fridge to prepare breakfast. A small camera clipped to your glasses quietly records what goes on your plate. There is no guesswork and no chance for cover-ups.<\/p>\n

Watching what you eat<\/strong><\/p>\n

The technology is being trialled in CoDiet, a four-year EU-funded collaboration running until the end of 2026.<\/p>\n

It brings together 17 institutions across eight EU countries and associated countries such as the UK to explore how diet contributes to non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, obesity and heart conditions.<\/p>\n

Some 200 volunteers across Europe wore the cameras daily under the supervision of Dr Aygul Dagbasi, a dietitian and postdoctoral researcher at Imperial College London in the UK.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople were motivated to participate because it gave them a deeper understanding of their diet and its impact on their health,\u201d said Dagbasi.<\/p>\n

The key advantage is objectivity. \u201cWhen we ask patients what they eat, the answer we receive is only their perception,\u201d she explained. \u201cIf we don\u2019t know what people really eat, our findings and advice will be inaccurate.\u201d<\/p>\n

A picture of health<\/strong><\/p>\n

CoDiet researchers are going further by combining food records with AI analysis of biomarkers from blood and urine samples.\u00a0By factoring in genetics, metabolism and gut bacteria, they hope to explain why people do not all respond to the same diet in the same way.<\/p>\n

The next step is to build a tool that delivers personalised diet advice, with trials planned in Greece, Ireland, Spain and the UK.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe hope this will make dietary advice more personalised and effective, but also more accessible,\u201d said Dagbasi. \u201cIn many parts of the world, access to a qualified dietitian is limited.\u201d That means the most vulnerable groups such as children, teenagers and elderly often do not get the help they need.<\/p>\n

One size does not fit all<\/strong><\/p>\n

Preventing obesity, however, involves far more than what appears on the plate.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe relationship between diet and health is very complex,\u201d said Dr Itziar Tueros, head of the Food and Health Department at AZTI, a leading research centre in the Basque Country, Spain, and coordinator of the CoDiet research team.<\/p>\n

\u201cEverybody\u2019s metabolism is unique, which means people respond very differently to the same diet.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alongside personalised advice, the CoDiet team is examining food policies in six EU countries. They are\u00a0looking into how regulation, education or greater access to healthy food could help reduce disease rates across whole communities.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur goal is to develop tools that help individuals make healthier choices, while also shaping evidence-based policies to support obesity prevention and chronic disease reduction,\u201d said Tueros.<\/p>\n

Europe\u2019s push for prevention<\/strong><\/p>\n

The CoDiet research is part of a wider European drive to confront obesity and strengthen preventative health care.<\/p>\n

Over recent decades, obesity has reached epidemic proportions, affecting more than a billion people worldwide. In the EU, more than half of all adults are overweight or obese<\/a>, and the numbers are rising rapidly.<\/p>\n

Childhood obesity is particularly concerning, with cases expected to double between 2020 and 2035, according to the\u00a0World Obesity Federation<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cObesity rates are very high at the moment,\u201d warned Dagbasi. \u201cWe see that people eat differently in different countries, yet we all have the same obesity problems.\u201d<\/p>\n

In response, nine EU-backed projects, including CoDiet, have joined forces in OBEClust (European cluster of obesity research projects). This collaboration pools knowledge to better understand risks, promote prevention and behavioural change, and develop personalised strategies for maintaining a healthy weight throughout life.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe cluster gives us a wider vision of the activities and research related to the topic, allowing us to create more synergies,\u201d said Tueros.<\/p>\n

A multidisciplinary approach is essential here, she said. \u201cIf you go alone, you might go faster, but not further.\u201d<\/p>\n

Personalised risks for the young<\/strong><\/p>\n

Another OBEClust project, PAS GRAS, focuses on personalised risk assessment for children and young adults. Coordinated by Paulo Oliveira, vice-president of the Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology at the University of Coimbra, Portugal, the five-year project runs until 2028.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s important to predict who is most at risk, because obesity is not as straightforward as people might think,\u201d said Oliveira. \u201cThere\u2019s a stigma that obese people simply eat too much and don\u2019t move enough. In reality, many factors influence obesity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sixteen organisations in seven EU countries and the UK are developing fresh tools to predict obesity risk and the likelihood of related health complications.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven though obesity is associated with many health complications, each patient develops them differently \u2013 and we don\u2019t yet know why,\u201d said Oliveira.<\/p>\n

Mediterranean diet<\/strong><\/p>\n

PAS GRAS researchers are also designing lifestyle interventions, with a focus on the Mediterranean diet. Their studies are identifying which molecules in traditional foods help accelerate metabolism, burn fat or regulate appetite.<\/p>\n

For instance, they are investigating the anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and digestive properties of mushrooms and Za’atar, a Middle Eastern mix of herbs and spices, to see if they help reduce belly fat and improve metabolic health.<\/p>\n

Sharing these insights with those who need them is another challenge. The team has created literacy campaigns for children and young adults, including a colouring book, comics and a video game to help them understand how their diet and lifestyle impact their body.<\/p>\n

Like CoDiet, PAS GRAS will also provide policy guidelines. Oliveira, who also chairs OBEClust, stressed that real change requires collective input.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo change policies, you need evidence from many projects, not just one. Working together helps us establish common ground for common policies.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shifting focus to prevention<\/strong><\/p>\n

The message from researchers is clear: prevention must take centre stage.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are treating obesity reactively. We try to cure instead of prevent,\u201d said Oliveira. \u201cWe need to focus more on prevention and decrease risks while there is time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tueros agrees. \u201cAn open international collaboration will hopefully help us achieve our main goal \u2013 real world impact. With new solutions for both patients and healthcare professionals.\u201d<\/p>\n

The link between obesity and other chronic diseases is well established. A recent study in\u00a0Global Heart<\/a>\u00a0warned that rising obesity is fuelling cardiovascular disease (CVD) worldwide.<\/p>\n

With CVD already Europe\u2019s leading cause of death, the European Commission is now drawing up an EU Cardiovascular Health Plan.<\/p>\n

The aim is to cut premature deaths from CVDs by promoting healthier lifestyles, preventing obesity, and improving early detection and treatment.<\/p>\n

\u201cObesity is one of the biggest health concerns of our time, and we need to address it,\u201d said Dagbasi. \u201cHaving a holistic understanding of its causes will help us tackle the problem better.\u201d<\/p>\n

Research 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. <\/em><\/p>\n

\u200bThis article was originally published\u202fin\u00a0Horizon<\/a>\u00a0the EU Research and Innovation Magazine.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em>More info<\/p>\n