In Europe, the prevalence of obesity (body mass index [BMI] > 30 kg/m2) has tripled in many countries since the 1980s, and the number continues to rise. Presently, more than 50% of the population are overweight (BMI > 25 kg/m2) and more than 20% are obese [1]. This amounts to more than 200 million overweight or obese Europeans.