Interventions for preventing obesity in children

Abstract

Background Obesity prevention is an international public health priority. The prevalence of obesity and overweight is increasing in child populations throughout the world, impacting on short and long-term health. Obesity prevention strategies for children can change behaviour but efficacy in terms of preventing obesity remains poorly understood. Objectives To assess the effectiveness of interventions designed to prevent obesity in childhood through diet, physical activity and/or lifestyle and social support. Search strategy MEDLINE, PsycINFO, EMBASE, CINAHL and CENTRAL were searched from 1990 to February 2005. Non-English language papers were included and experts contacted. Selection criteria Randomised controlled trials and controlled clinical trials with minimum duration twelve weeks. Data collection and analysis Two reviewers independently extracted data and assessed study quality. Main results Twenty-two studies were included; ten long-term (at least 12 months) and twelve short-term (12 weeks to 12 months). Nineteen were school/preschool-based interventions, one was a community-based intervention targeting low-income families, and two were familybased interventions targeting non-obese children of obese or overweight parents. Six of the ten long-term studies combined dietary education and physical activity interventions; five resulted in no difference in overweight status between groups and one resulted in improvements for girls receiving the intervention, but not boys. Two studies Interventions for preventing obesity in children (Review)

Physical activity attenuates the mid-adolescent peak in insulin resistance but by late adolescence the effect is lost: a longitudinal study with annual measures from 9–16 years (EarlyBird 66)

“…Systematic reviews have shown that activity interventions in children lead to only small improvements in body mass and body fat [5][6][7]. However, other reviews have shown that activity interventions (especially those of at least moderateintensity activity) consistently reduce IR and improve metabolic health, even when body fat is unchanged [8,9].…”

Providing healthy diets for young children: the experience of parents in a UK inner city

“…Rather than focus on one particular cause or element, research suggests the most useful approach is to consider the reciprocal nature of the interaction between the individual and the environment and contexts in which they operate and co-exist (Roberto et al, 2015). A number of non-medical strategies and interventions have been proposed with the aim of targeting the antecedents of obesity and reversing the growing epidemic, including large public health interventions, such as the NHS’s “Live Well” (UK NHS) programme and the UK government’s “sugar tax” (Sarlio-Lähteenkorva & Winkler, 2015) and behavioural interventions focusing on promoting healthy diets, and increasing physical activity e.g., (Mastellos, Gunn, Felix, Car, & Majeed, 2014; Shaw, Gennat, O’Rourke, & Mar, 2006; Waters et al, 2011). However, despite a small number of successes, once established overweight and obesity is notoriously recalcitrant and difficult to treat in adults.…”

Exploring the relationship between childhood obesity and proximity to the coast: A rural/urban perspective

“…Without intervention, they warn that 90% of the UK's children could be overweight by 2050 (NHS, 2008). Childhood obesity has been shown to lower children's quality of life, to cause serious health consequences (Waters, 2011;Tsiros et al, 2009) and is also a highly influential determinant of adult obesity (Biro and Wein, 2010;Flodmark et al 2004;Reilly and McDowell, 2003).…”