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Preventing Childhood Obesity - Evidence Policy and Practice.pdf

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<strong>Childhood</strong> obesity prevention overview<br />

Modifiable determinants Underlying factors Nutrition related susceptibility<br />

(life-course exposure)<br />

Community empowerment<br />

dem<strong>and</strong> for: safe <strong>and</strong> healthy<br />

foods, active lives<br />

Public <strong>and</strong> private sector<br />

response to people’s health<br />

dem<strong>and</strong>s<br />

Government response in<br />

protection of public interest<br />

International <strong>and</strong> National<br />

framework policies: health,<br />

education, agriculture,<br />

economic, urbanization,<br />

recreation, transport, trade<br />

Legislative framework: to<br />

promote, support <strong>and</strong> protect<br />

right to safe <strong>and</strong> nutritious<br />

foods.<br />

Access to safe <strong>and</strong> healthy<br />

foods (quantity <strong>and</strong> quality)<br />

Balancing energy intake<br />

<strong>and</strong> expenditure<br />

Factors affecting food <strong>and</strong><br />

PA supply chain<br />

Policies affecting marketing,<br />

advertisement, subsidies<br />

Urban space <strong>and</strong> facilities<br />

for active lives (household<br />

school <strong>and</strong> workplace)<br />

Psycho-social determinants<br />

of food intake <strong>and</strong> PA<br />

Energy-balance<br />

Energy-dense diets (fat <strong>and</strong> sugar)<br />

Physical Activity<br />

Appetite <strong>and</strong> food intake control<br />

Pre <strong>and</strong> postnatal growth<br />

Macronutrient quality<br />

Micronutrient balance<br />

Hormonal response to diet<br />

Epigenetic<br />

Receptors<br />

Adipocyte Cell<br />

Growth<br />

genes<br />

Hormones<br />

OBESITY<br />

Genetic<br />

Monogenic<br />

Polygenic<br />

potential for future effectiveness<br />

present efforts<br />

Figure 3.1 The hierarchy of determinants of childhood obesity from basic societal determinants (which have the<br />

greatest potential for prevention efforts) to individual <strong>and</strong> genetic predisposition (which is where the greatest efforts<br />

are currently based).<br />

A l ife - c ourse a pproach to<br />

o besity p revention<br />

The concept that obesity should be prevented using a<br />

life - course approach is relatively new. The old concept<br />

that children would outgrow overweight <strong>and</strong> obesity<br />

has been ab<strong>and</strong>oned based on the currently available<br />

data which show that as obesity prevalence rises<br />

the tracking of increased adiposity into adulthood<br />

becomes stronger <strong>and</strong> more clearly defined. 6 The evidence<br />

indicates that the time to consider obesity <strong>and</strong><br />

chronic disease prevention is from early life <strong>and</strong><br />

continues throughout every stage of the life course,<br />

Figure 3.2 offers a graphic depiction of this concept.<br />

Preconception This is an important time to ensure,<br />

if possible, that maternal body mass index ( BMI ) is<br />

normal (i.e., between18.5 <strong>and</strong> 25 kg/m 2 ) <strong>and</strong> that<br />

micronutrient status is normal (i.e., any anemia is<br />

corrected <strong>and</strong> folate intake is adequate through ade-<br />

quate diet, fortified foods or supplements). Monitoring<br />

maternal weight gain is important to reduce the risk<br />

of low birth weight ( < 2.5 kg) as well as macrosomia<br />

(birth weight > 4.0 kg). The relationship between birth<br />

weight <strong>and</strong> obesity is that of an open J - shaped curved:<br />

that is, both low birth weight <strong>and</strong> high birth weight<br />

are associated with a higher risk of later obesity. While<br />

the mechanisms by which intrauterine undernutrition<br />

or overnutrition predisposes to later unhealthy weight<br />

gain are beginning to be elucidated, 7 the key message<br />

is that we should change what is considered good<br />

nutrition during infancy, from a focus on weight gain<br />

to one where linear growth <strong>and</strong> the proportionality of<br />

weight relative to length are truly important.<br />

Infants <strong>and</strong> young children The main preventive<br />

strategies for these groups are to: promote <strong>and</strong> support<br />

the practice of exclusive breastfeeding for the first six<br />

months of life as the preferred mode of feeding; avoiding<br />

the use of added sugars <strong>and</strong> starches when feeding<br />

23

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