The International Olympic Committee and World Health Organization are joining forces to prevent childhood obesity and foster healthy lifestyles. The two agencies signed a five-year agreement Wednesday at Olympic headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Under the agreement, the WHO and IOC will work at both the international and country level to promote activities to help people reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer and Type 2 diabetes.
The focus is on getting everybody moving to reduce the risk of noncommunicable diseases across all age groups, said IOC president Jacques Rogge.
Physical inactivity is ranked as the fourth leading risk factor for all deaths globally, contributing to 1.9 million deaths each year, the WHO said.
Nearly 90 per cent of fatalities before the age of 60 occur in developing countries and can be largely prevented by reducing the level of exposure to tobacco use, unhealthy diet and physical inactivity, according to the UN health agency.
Previously, the two groups worked together to implement a tobacco-free policy at Olympic Games venues and health promotion campaigns in Olympic host cities.
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