Today, more than ever, sport is a cultural issue. As such, it has a prominent position within the European strategies aimed at fostering actions of social inclusion and for the general well-being. Hence the choice of dedicating a space inside Expo 2015 to this subject, with the event “Sport and nutrition: the European recipe” which took place last June 16^th at the EU Pavilion. The goal: raising the awareness of citizens on the importance of a healthy and integrated lifestyle.

The event represented an important opportunity to reflect on the relationship which inextricably links nutrition to a healthy physical activity: a problem of common concern, which requires an act of social responsibility by all citizens. Inadequate food consumption and low mobility are, indeed, a proven risk factor in the occurrence of tumours and in the increase of heart diseases. In Europe, 20% of the population suffers from obesity, a disease determining a negative impact also on the economic system. In order to tackle it, the winning strategy is to promote actions of prevention and awareness raising, in the name of a healthy nutrition and a regular physical activity.

Among the speakers, Francesco Soro, head of Cabinet of CONI’s president, and Alessandro Nervegna, in charge of “Kinder + Sport” by Gruppo Ferrero. An institution and an industrial group involved together, at Expo, also in a more far-reaching project: the realisation of an innovative motor garden dedicated to families, with educational pathways to stimulate the physical, cognitive and social development of children. The objective: to create a place for sharing experiences and promoting, from an early age, the adherence to principles based on a healthy lifestyle, in the spirit of sport, and to the well-being of the individual and of the community.