The World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday urged member states to take stronger action against obesity and excess weight to lessen obesity-related diseases.

Representatives from 48 states at the European ministerial conference on nutrition and noncommunicable diseases signed the Viennese Declaration at the two-day meeting.

"We reaffirm our commitment in the context of European and global initiatives to combat the major risk factors for non-communicable diseases, especially an unhealthy diet and physical inactivity," the declaration said.

Measures recommended include less fat, sugar, and salt consumption in diets along with an increase in physical activity, through which it is hoped to bring about a 25 percent reduction in premature mortality from related noncommunicable diseases by 2025.

Austrian Health Minister Alois Stoger said he was happy with the conference, APA reported.

"The WHO has come up with a common nutrition strategy in the European region for the first time and that it was now up to individual countries to implement them, something Austria has already achieved," he said. Endi

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