Policy Interventions to Tackle Childhood Obesity

Over the past forty years, there has been a significant increase in the prevalence of overweight and obesity, and epidemiological studies worldwide have shown a shift from underweight to overweight and obesity (Ana Rita Pereira & Oliveira, 2021).

The condition of obesity is complicated and multifaceted. Genes alone cannot account for the enormous and rapid rise in obesity in the general population, even though genetics may be a significant etiological factor for obesity development. Schools, workplaces, homes, and neighbourhoods are examples of microenvironmental settings that are influenced by macroenvironmental sectors like the food industry and the health system. These settings could be crucial in combating the obesity epidemic (Ana Rita Pereira & Oliveira, 2021).

In terms of the concerning rise in adolescent obesity, developing nations are catching up to developed ones. The geographic distribution of the 19.6% to 26.6% prevalence of adolescent obesity in India's various regions is not entirely clear (Prateek Srivastav et al., 2020).

Developing nations continue to face the dual problems of overnutrition in certain populations and malnutrition in others. Work at several societal levels is required to effectively address this intricate, multifaceted issue. Government policies, the environment, families, specific adolescents, and medical professionals should all be the focus of these interventions.
All relevant parties, including the federal government, state and local government agencies and organisations, educational institutions, families, and teenagers themselves, should be involved in effective interventions, according to the evidence (Prateek Srivastav et al., 2020).

Kindly share the need of Policy interventions to tackle childhood obesity.

Reference:

1. Pereira, A. R., & Oliveira, A. (2021). Dietary Interventions to Prevent Childhood Obesity: A Literature Review. Nutrients, 13(10), 3447. //doi.org/10.3390/nu13103447
2. Prateek Srivastav, Broadbent, S., Vaishali K, Nayak, B., & H Vinod Bhat. (2020). Prevention of adolescent obesity: The global picture and an indian perspective. Diabetes & Metabolic Syndrome: Clinical Research and Reviews, 14(5), 1195–1204. //doi.org/10.1016/j.dsx.2020.06.039