We’ve all heard the discouraging statistics about global childhood obesity. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 42 million young children worldwide are obese. If trends continue, that number is expected to rise to 70 million by 2025, mostly among kids in developing nations. And in Europe, one in three 11-year-olds are overweight or obese.


As daunting as those figures are, here’s the good news: evidence shows that by demonstrating to kids that nutritious foods are also delicious and that breaking a sweat can be a lot of fun, the pandemic can be reversed—and The Coca-Cola Company is doing its part to help.

A Grassroots Approach


We care about people – our employees, our communities , the public-at-large and we are committed to inspiring people to lead a healthier and more active lifestyle. That’s why, as a company, we have a history of working with partners and programs that we know are successful in helping people maintain a healthy, balanced lifestyle. This includes working with community-based programs across the world to address both sides of the energy balance equation, tackling nutrition and activity together. One of these partners is the EPODE International Network (EIN), the world's largest obesity prevention network. The Coca-Cola Company became the first founding partner of the EIN when it was created in 2011. We continue to partner with them to help support long term, sustainable solutions to prevent childhood obesity at a local level and on a global scale.

The core of the EPODE (The Ensemble Prevenons l’Obesite Des Enfants/Let’s Prevent Childhood Obesity Together) methodology relies on the involvement of multiple stakeholders within a community. This proven methodology is the result of a study initiated in 1992 in two towns in Northern France that began as a long-term school-based intervention which evolved into a community-based program. This long-term intervention (over 20 years) formed the basis of the methodology.

EIN is a non-profit NGO whose experts and partners subscribe to the principles that healthy behaviors are best taught at the community level, using methods that take into account local cultural traditions.

“Today, the EPODE methodology inspires and guides 42 programs across 29 countries in their endeavors to prevent childhood obesity. The EPODE International Network supports these programs, helping them to scale up their efforts and ensuring their effectiveness on the ground,” says Dr. Jean-Michel Borys, EIN Secretary General. Originally targeted toward battling childhood obesity, EPODE's community-based programs are also having positive impact on families and adults.

The approach is to demonstrate healthy habits, not dictate them. “There’s a lot of finger pointing right now when it comes to discussing nutrition and healthy diets, but that hasn’t been helpful in changing the statistics,” says Wouter Vermeulen, public affairs and communications director of health and well-being for Coca-Cola Europe. “Instead of saying, ‘don’t do that,’ or ‘avoid this,’ EPODE has developed a non-stigmatizing, positive approach.” 


Call it the “it takes a village” strategy. EPODE supports the entire community—schools, health providers, families, businesses, and political leaders—delivering programs that create everyday norms and settings for children to enjoy healthy eating, active play and recreation. This science-backed methodology is endorsed not only by health, fitness and nutrition experts but also experts across the globe including the WHO, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the European Commission.

Children in engage in general sports activities that are organized with the community's families.

Promising Results 


So far, EPODE has made a dent in statistics. The first 10 towns in France to implement its programs saw childhood obesity drop 10 percent over five years. Two pilot communities in Belgium experienced a 22 percent decrease after adopting the EPODE model. All projects supported by EIN are qualitatively and quantitatively assessed in order to measure their progress, impact and learnings.


“There’s no one-size-fits-all approach,” says Vermeulen. “EPODE’s success comes from taking into account a community’s lifestyle and gathering good partners at a local level.” 


EPODE’s most recent success story: bringing its message of a healthy, balanced lifestyle to Romania. Since launching the SETS (“I’m Living Healthy Too!”) program there in 2011, the program has reached over 79,000 elementary school students in 252 schools. Kids are encouraged to participate in physical activity after school. At home, they and their families can access online videos and articles about nutrition. And more than 200 students from the Universitatea Nationala de Education Fizica in Bucharest have taught free sports demonstrations, acting as healthy role models to their young counterparts.


EPODE’s healthy messages continue to be tailored to community needs: Families in Mexico are encouraged to sit down together and share a nutritious breakfast every morning. Teens in Poland are given more opportunity for physical activity through their high schools. In the Netherlands, supermarkets have agreed to display healthy food at kids’ eye level. In Spain, students are taught the benefits of eating more seafood. 


Throughout Europe, EPODE sponsors fruit tastings, healthy snack giveaways in schools, cooking classes, and gardening programs. Because exercise is just as important as eating well, EPODE also works at improving town sidewalks, rearranging playgrounds and developing gyms for the youngest of children.

Coca-Cola’s Commitment to Help


By 2016, EPODE’s goal is to help almost 4 million Europeans—including 975,000 children—learn how to achieve and sustain active, healthy lifestyles. Over the next three years, EPODE will be working with communities in Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Sweden and Spain. Local community-based initiatives will benefit from tailored support to extend their work to reduce childhood obesity. 
And thanks to a recent grant from Coca-Cola, EPODE has been able to expand across the world, with programs and initiatives in the Middle East, Asia Pacific, and North and South America. 


Coca-Cola’s involvement includes much more than just funding. Coca-Cola supports EPODE by offering business knowledge and insight, says Vermeulen. One example: sharing with EPODE group leaders how to better connect with young people through digital communication.

“To reverse the obesity trend, everyone needs to work together,” says Vermeulen. After all, that’s the core value of The Coca-Cola Company.