The Observatory of Nutrition and of the Study of Obesity
The Observatory of Nutrition and of the Study of Obesity, the creation of
which was approved by the Council of Ministers’ Agreement on 18 January 2013,
is a collegiate body as established in article 40.3 of Law 6/1997, of 14 April,
for the Organisation and Functioning of the General State Administration,
attached to the Ministry of Health, Social Services and Equality, through the
Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN). a) To collect information on the eating and exercise habits of the
population, for the different age groups and social and economic groups. The NAOS Observatory will be made up of a President, Dr Valentín Fuster; a
Deputy-President, under the responsibility of the Executive Management of the
AESAN; Spokespersons consisting of representatives of the AESAN, Regional
Communities and other Ministries, scientific societies, professional college
boards, Spanish federations and associations from different areas related to
nutrition and the prevention of obesity, and the Secretary, which will fall to
the AESAN. The Observatory will start with a web page which will include
information from very varied sources. One of the first will be the information
collected through the development and application of a
minimum set of indicators established as tools for the assessment and
monitoring of the NAOS strategy
together with a bibliography taken from
regional, European and international sources (OECD, European Health Examination
Survey, WHO, CDC, Universities, Research Centres, Observatories of Obesity in
other countries, etc.). The dissemination of the information will be a priority
task for the Observatory in order to transmit the information to all the
sectors ad actors involved.
The Observatory of Nutrition and of the Study of Obesity is an information
system for determining the situation of obesity in Spain, which aims to provide
a dynamic platform able to offer, produce, collect and put together data and
evidence about nutrition, physical exercise, overweight and obesity and its
underlying causes, as well as acting as a meeting point between the different
public administrations, institutions, associations or organisations from all
spheres in which the objectives of the NAOS Strategy come together (promotion
of a healthy diet and regular physical exercise).
According to article 38 of Law 17/2011 of 5 July on Food Safety and Nutrition,
which establishes the creation of this Observatory, the functions allocated to
the Observatory are as follows:
b) To collect information on the prevalence of overweight and obesity, and the
underlying causes.
c) To monitor and assess the measures and interventions included in the
Strategy for nutrition, physical activity and the prevention of obesity (NAOS),
defined in article 36.
d) To analyse other policies and actions developed at international, national,
regional and local level, for the promotion of a healthy diet and regular
exercise, highlighting and publishing the most efficient interventions with the
greatest impact on health.
e) To collect and analyse data and information about food advertising,
broadcast by the different communication systems and media, with special
attention to advertising directed at minors.
f) To prepare and promote studies and research required to achieve greater
efficiency in the design and development of the nutrition policies.
g) To prepare an annual report which includes the monitoring and evaluation of
the NAOS Strategy, and recommendations and aspects to be corrected.
