Obesity

This is the last in the series of articles examining the prevention of childhood obesity and will look at the overall guidance gleaned from earlier studies which can be used to inform and improve future interventions.

Programmes to prevent childhood overweight and obesity, which focus on modification of dietary behaviour, increasing physical activity or reducing sedentary behaviour, have been underway for a number of years in countries all over the world. Encouraging results have provided useful data for the development of future initiatives. This is the second in a series of articles discussing current research on the prevention of childhood obesity.

As levels of overweight and obesity in European children continue to rise, it is generally agreed that preventive action is needed urgently. However, there is still much debate over when and how to introduce interventions and what precise measures should be used. Here are some of the considerations

The burden of obesity threatens the health and quality of life of an increasing number of Europeans. For this reason national governments and the European Commission have allocated substantial resources to find out how to reverse this trend. Although we now know a great deal about body weight control systems and that these are influenced by genetic traits, the current increase in obesity in Europe is greatly influenced by lifestyle, diet and physical activity. There is a need for more information on the precise factors that promote obesity and this will in turn provide the basis for preventive public health measures. Here is an overview of some of the current EU funded research projects in this area referred to by their acronyms.

As European waistlines continue to expand, research into the optimal diet for weight loss and keeping slim continues. As in all areas of research, ideas evolve and develop in surprising ways, often challenging accepted wisdom. Here are some of the recent developments in obesity research.