The European Union said Monday it is launching a public relations blitz designed to boost the eating habits of the continent's young people and reduce the number who are overweight.

It is estimated that as many as 22 million European kids are overweight.

The EU plans to launch a website that informs European girls and boys about what constitutes proper eating habits, as well as sending three roadshows to dispense information and invite kids to participate in a series of activities to highlight healthy eating.

"When we look around and see the number of overweight children, it is clear that we must act now," said Mariann Fischer Boel, the EU's commissioner for agriculture and rural development at a press conference in Brussels outlining the union's plans.

Similar to many developed countries, governments in Europe are grappling with a wave of overweight people of all ages. But the EU, which helps set policies for a number of countries on that continent, is especially concerned regarding the number of chubby kids.

The union estimates that there are 22 million children who are overweight — defined by Health Canada as having a body mass index of between 25 and 29.9 —including five million who are considered obese.

The EU worries that heavier kids generally become fatter adults, people who will be susceptible to different medical conditions and will represent a future drain on national health-care systems.

By way of comparison, the EU has one overweight child for every 22.7 people, versus the United States which has a too-heavy boy or girl for every 12.2 Americans.