I. Introduction As is becoming common knowledge, all the Member States of the European Union are affected by soaring rates of overweight and obesity,1 with the EU average prevalence estimated at 30% in 2006.2 The trends are all the more worrying for children, as an obese child is very likely to become an obese adult. The number of EU school children suffering from overweight and obesity rises by more than 400,000 a year, adding to the 14-million plus