Study reveals approaches to child obesity prevention
A new study has highlighted key approaches that should be taken to reduce the levels of childhood obesity in countries such as the UK.Scientists at the University of Melbourne in Australia reviewed trials that have been conducted since 2005 in order to update a previous Cochrane Review on interventions to tackle childhood obesity.
Since then, the number of relevant trials has increased to 55, giving the scientists a good pool of research on which to base their review.
Lead researcher Professor Elizabeth Waters, from the university's McCaughey Centre, revealed that the studies varied in their exact approaches, but that interventions that seek to change environments, rather than just the behaviour of children, appear to be most effective.
For instance, the review recommends including healthy diet, fitness and body image lessons in school curricula for six to 12-year-olds, as well as improving the nutritional quality of school diet plans.
Other useful approaches include support for teachers to help them implement health promotion strategies, as well as support for parents.
Professor Waters said: "There is now compelling evidence that strategies can be implemented to halt the growing rates of obesity in children.
"Research that aims to reduce childhood obesity must now concentrate on finding ways of embedding effective interventions in health, education and care systems, so that we can make population-wide, long-term impacts on the levels of obesity."
