Energy-dense diets and a sedentary lifestyle are recognized as major contributors.

To combat the rising epidemic, the WHO has identified a set of dietary recommendations. (World Health Organization – 2003 – Diet, Nutrition and the prevention of chronic diseases – Technical Report Series 916). To combat excess weight different actions can be done on nutrition:

• Adopting a well-balanced diet based on obtaining energy from different sources, i.e.
• 55-65% from carbohydrates with 10% max. of simple sugars (mono and disaccharides) such as sucrose.
• 15-30% from fat.
• 10-15% from protein.
• Avoiding excessive glycemic fluctuations (hyper- and hypoglycemia).
• Favoring the consumption of healthier complex carbohydrate such as fibres, the aim being to slow the diffusion of glucose after a meal and manage the daily calorie intake