Global strategy: overall goal

The overall goal of the strategy is to promote and protect health through healthy eating and physical activity.

Recognizing the unique opportunity that exists to formulate and implement an effective strategy for substantially reduce deaths and disease burden worldwide by improving diet and promoting physical activity, WHO has adopted, in May 2004, the "Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health".

The Global Strategy has 4 main objectives:

• Reduce risk factors for chronic diseases that stem from unhealthy diets and physical inactivity through public health actions.
• Increase awareness and understanding of the influences of diet and physical activity on health an the positive impact of preventive interventions.
• Develop, strengthen and implement global, regional, national policies and action plans to improve diets and increase physical activity that are sustainable, comprehensive and actively engage all sectors.
• Monitor science and promote research on diet and physical activity.

Responsibilities for action

Bringing about changes in the dietary habits and patterns of physical activity will require the combined efforts of many stakeholders, public and private, over several decades. A combination of sound and effective actions is needed at global, regional, national and local levels, with close monitoring and evaluation of their impact.

The Global Strategy describes the responsabilities of those involved and provides recommendations for action to key stakeholders, including:

• Member states
• WHO
• International partners
• Civil society and nongovernmental organizations, and
• Private sector

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