As more and more citizens come to reap the benefits of open trade on a global scale, as well as extended lifespan and high quality of life, they also seem to expect public authorities and companies to deliver more protection against those threats, whether industrial or natural. Amid rising awareness of the need to tackle the so-called health risk factors, such as tobacco use, excessive alcohol consumption and unhealthy diets, and of the link between good health and economic performance, the EU is progressively shaping – despite its limited competence in health matters – a ‘EU lifestyle policy’. After illustrating the mean features of this EU emerging policy, by focusing on the coexistence of traditional regulatory and self-regulatory mechanisms, this presentation offers an account of the legal, moral and public health challenges facing governmental efforts aimed at curbing lifestyle risks. In particular, the focus will be on what can realistically be expected by the relevant industries while tackling lifestyle choices that are responsible for 63% of death at the global level according to the World Health Organisation.