Child and adolescent obesity: part of a bigger picture (original) (raw)
Related papers
2016
Childhood obesity is a major public health concern across the European Region. Data from the WHO European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative show that, on average, one in every three children aged 6–9 years is overweight or obese (1). Overweight children are at increased risk of suffering from psychological effects, gastrointestinal complications, cardiovascular disease and diabetes (2). Furthermore, a large proportion of children who are overweight before puberty will remain overweight in early adulthood (3, 4). Excess adult body weight (body mass index >25 kg/m2) and excessive consumption of energy-dense, highly processed foods and beverages that are high in saturated fats, trans fats, free sugars and/or salt (hereafter termed “HFSS foods”) have been particularly implicated in encouraging obesity and noncommunicable diseases, notably cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and several types of cancer (5). The prevention of childhood obesity and promotion of healthy diets is a ...
In May 2010, 192 Member States endorsed Resolution WHA63.14 to restrict the marketing of food and non-alcoholic beverage (F&B) products high in saturated fats, trans fats, free sugars and salt (HFSS) to children and adolescents globally. We examine actions taken between 2010 and early 2016 by the World Health Organization (WHO) and its regional offices, other United Nations System organizations, transnational industry actors and civil society groups to help halt and reverse obesity and diet-related non-communicable disease (NCD) rates among young people worldwide. The evidence compiled suggests that the WHO and other United Nations System organizations demonstrated leadership to protect young people from branded HFSS F&B product marketing by providing technical and policy guidance and tools to national governments in Member States during the review period. Progress was less robust and varied among national governments, transnational industry actors, health philanthropies and civil society organizations. We suggest priority strategies and actions for diverse actors to accelerate progress to fully implement Resolution WHA63.14 by restricting and shifting the marketing of harmful branded HFSS F&B products to nutrient-dense F&B products to help young people meet government-recommended dietary targets. Successful strategies and actions will align with the goal to reduce NCDs by 25 percent by 2025 and the United Nations System’s Sustainable Development Goal to ensure healthy lives for all by 2030.
The EU Childhood Obesity Project
Nutrition Bulletin, 2009
The European Union Childhood Obesity Project was set up in 2001 to test the hypothesis that the higher risk of obesity seen in formula-fed infants -as compared with breastfed babies -is a result of the higher protein content in infant formulas than in breastmilk. The infants participating in the study were recruited between 2002 and 2004 and followed up for 2 years. The first results of the study were published earlier this year. After 2 years, the weight-for-length and body mass index of the infants fed the lower-protein formula were significantly lower than those fed the higher-protein formulas. Extrapolating from previous studies suggests that the children in the higher-protein group have a 13% increased risk of being obese in adolescence compared with those in the lower-protein group. An analysis of the timing of weaning has also been published: this showed that formula-fed infants were given solid foods on average 2 weeks earlier than breastfed infants (19 weeks compared with 21 weeks) and were twice as likely to be introduced to solid foods before the age of 4 months as breastfed infants.
Childhood obesity – a sign of commercial success, but a market failure
International Journal of Pediatric Obesity, 2006
Obesogenic' products, such as energy dense foods, passive entertainment products, cars, and labour-saving devices, are widely available and heavily promoted. Because they are highly consumed and very profitable, obesity becomes the inevitable consequence of their commercial successes. Contemporary market forces heavily favour behaviours for short-term preferences (i.e. over-consumption and underactivity) over long-term preferences (i.e. healthy weight) and this is especially true for children. Hence, if the market, as the main mechanism for determining choices, results in outcomes, which make our children worse off, as is occurring with childhood obesity, then the market has failed to sustain and promote social and individual goals. This is a serious market failure. In the current obesogenic environment, expecting adults, let alone children, to make food and activity choices in their own best long-term interests is, therefore, demonstrably flawed. We argue that significant government intervention is needed to correct this market failure, as has been done for other major health problems.
Ending childhood obesity: Introducing the issues and the legal challenge
Ending Childhood Obesity
In June 2014, in advance of the Second United Nations (UN) High Level Meeting on NCDs, the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) established the Commission on Ending Childhood Obesity (ECHO), noting that progress in tackling childhood obesity had been 'slow and inconsistent'. ECHO was entrusted with producing a report specifying which approaches and combinations of interventions were likely to be most effective in tackling childhood and adolescent obesity in different contexts around the world. 1 In May 2016, the 69th World Health Assembly (WHA) welcomed ECHO's report and asked the WHO to develop an action plan for the implementation of its recommendations. 2 Following consultation with member States and relevant stakeholders, an implementation plan was submitted to the 70th WHA in May 2017, 3 which the member States welcomed. 4 Using the Commission's report as its starting point, this edited collection reflects on the problem of childhood obesity as a legal challenge and calls for the robust, evidence-based regulation of the food industry, not least multinational 1 Two ad hoc working groups were convened to provide guidance to the Commission, focusing respectively on the science and evidence for ending childhood obesity and on implementation, monitoring and accountability frameworks. On ECHO and its working groups, see www .who .int/ end-childhood-obesity/ en (accessed 15 May 2020).
Childhood Obesity: Reason behind this health crisis
Obesity has emerged as a major health issues for pediatric population as well as in adults in the present global scenario. In children, numerous studies have revealed a relationship between the breast feeding and obesity in children. Apart from these, Family economic and education level, child meal pattern, duration of sleep and birth weight are also responsible for obesity. Some genetic problems including environmental and socio-economic factors are also responsible for the child obesity. Several studies have shown an evidence of protective effect of breast feeding against obesity while some shows a time dependent effect of breast feeding on childhood obesity. As per WHO recommendations, a child should be exclusively breast fed upto 6 months and breast fed along with the complementary food of good quality. Introduction of the complementary food has a relationship bound with adipose rebound, which goes upto the age of 14. The intake of complementary food reduces the intake of breast milk and also induces the allergic reactions in the child. Apart from these leptin level and energy regulation in the body also plays and important role in pediatric obesity.
Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism, 2013
The latest exhaustive survey of dietary patterns in infants from the Feeding Infants and Toddlers Study (FITS) in North America documents and quantifies current trends in infant feeding. These include higher than generally recommended energy, protein, and saturated fat intakes. The majority of infants are bottle fed at some point in their first year of life, and their weaning diet often includes low intakes of fruits and vegetables, with high starchy, rather than green or yellow, vegetables. Early introduction of solids, use of cow's milk prior to 1 year of age, and high juice intake in the first 2 years - all less desirable diet practices - are improving, but are still prevalent. More preschoolers are likely to get sweets or sweetened beverages than a serving of fruit or a vegetable on a given day. These food intake patterns mimic the adult American diet and are associated with an increased risk of obesity in childhood and later life. But more importantly, these patterns appear...
Nutrients, 2015
An increased consumption of energy-dense, nutrient-poor food and beverages as a result of a changing obesogenic environment contributes substantially to the increasing prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity. This paper reviews the nature and extent of food industry influences which expose children to commercial influences and thus might affect unhealthy dietary behaviour and finally contributes to obesity. A systematic search of nine electronic databases (including PubMed, PsycINFO, EconLit) and reference lists of original studies and reviews using key search terms identified 1900 articles. Of these only thirty-six articles met the inclusion and quality criteria. A narrative synthesis of the reviewed studies revealed six key obesogenic environments by which the food industry possibly influences obesity-related dietary behaviours in young children. These were schools, retailers, mass media "television", mass media "internet", home and promotional campaigns. Identifying these obesogenic environments is critical for monitoring and controlling the food industry, the development of effective environmental-level interventions to prevent childhood overweight and obesity and to identify knowledge gaps to be addressed in future research to support informed decisions of policy makers.
Commercial Baby Foods Aimed at Children up to 36 Months: Are They a Matter of Concern?
Foods
Proper nutrition in infancy and early childhood is crucial to ensuring optimal child development, growth, and better health outcomes later in life. The nutrient profile model proposed by WHO/Europe aims to assess the nutritional quality and promotional/marketing aspects of commercial baby foods aimed at children up to 36 months. We used commercial data from 191 baby foods collected between March 2021 and July 2021, from eight supermarket chains in the Lisbon Metropolitan area. According to the model specifications and the NOVA classification system, we assessed the nutritional quality and promotion aspects and the degree of processing, respectively. The presence of at least one sugar-contributing ingredient was found in 34.0% of the products; 13.9% of products listed sugars and 15.0% listed fruit juices or concentrates as an ingredient. The claim “No added sugar” was present in 69.6% of products. Only 35.1% of products comply with all the nutritional requirements of the model. Conce...