problem solution essay childhood obesity

Childhood Obesity: Solutions that Fit the Problem

For nearly 20 years, childhood obesity has been considered a public health crisis in the U.S. And yet, more children than ever before are struggling with weight management. Nearly 42 percent of teens between 16 and 19 are overweight or obese, and the repercussions are determining their future right now.

Obese children are at nearly twice the risk of having three or more co-morbidities, when compared to children who are not overweight, according to research led by Dr. Neal Halfon , Professor at the Fielding School of Public Health (FSPH), the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and the Luskin School of Public Affairs. These kids don’t just bring the potential for depression, ADHD or a learning disability to school with them; they could bring all three or a number of other associated conditions. Any one of these co-morbidities on its own can seriously limit a child’s academic progress and transition into adulthood. But for some of these children, the idea of moving into a career is the last thing on their mind. They’re far more concerned with other pressing realities, like bullying and thoughts of suicide.

While the scourge of childhood obesity has become entrenched in our society, progress has been made to untangle its complexities and root it out. Through a combination of research and hands-on community involvement, UCLA and partners are helping our children find the solutions that fit their unique challenges.

Make the Healthy Choice the Easy Choice

A healthy appetite for water-rich, fiber-rich produce plays a crucial role in curbing food cravings and reducing obesity in children. But these choices have become harder to find in many day-to-day environments, especially for those who need healthy options the most.

More than 42 million people in the U.S. are food insecure. They lack reliable access to food that is both affordable and nutritious, like fresh produce. Instead, when they walk to and from school or go out for lunch on the weekend, they find themselves choosing from an abundance of fast food and convenience store snacks.

“The gut microbiome research suggests that the quality of what one eats is an important influence on satiety. People who need to economize when it comes to food choices buy low-cost foods that are fiber-poor and calorie-rich, and because the lack of fiber reaching the gut microbiota depresses satiety signaling, it also means they need more calories to feel satisfied than people with diets high in fruits and vegetables,” explains Dr. William McCarthy , Adjunct Professor in the FSPH Department of Health Policy and Management.

While the food insecurity situation can be dismaying, Dr. McCarthy knows there is hope. His research has shown that even if children don’t make the healthy choice right away, just giving them the option will develop their appetite. "Schools need to be patient and tolerate some plate waste … but students will not expand their liking for fruits and vegetables if they don't at least taste the food."

One way UCLA is making the healthy choice the easy choice is through Good Food for Local Schools (GFFLS). The national school lunch program feeds almost half of all kids in the U.S. That’s 31 million hungry bellies every day. GFFLS provides school districts with a comprehensive tool kit of resources for supporting healthy, sustainable food in pre-K–12 schools. This includes curriculum, operational resources, policy, research, and services that help our school districts make informed, systemic change.

Break a Sweat to Change a Life

Children also need to balance the calories they consume with enough physical activity. But it’s no secret that they are living increasingly sedentary lives, attached to digital devices. Activities that could be fun and full of exercise are greeted with moans of aversion.

For generations, Physical Education (P.E.) was the front line of defense against inactivity. This was especially true for inner-city youth. However, funding cuts and pressure to perform well on standardized tests have made P.E. an afterthought for many districts. The situation is currently so bad that the median P.E. budget is only $1.50 per student a year, in a school of 500 students. The result is that many students in this generation are growing up without adequate fitness equipment, a motivational fitness curriculum, and professional development for their teachers.

UCLA has an active presence in thousands of schools across the nation. The Sound Body Sound Mind (SBSM) program is one example of how our research can combine with action to create change. The program, which serves more than 185,000 students a year, is unique in that it develops both the body and the mind to enjoy physical activity. Most of the children in the program don’t start off thinking of themselves as athletic. But after they’ve been in the program for a while, they report higher levels of confidence and perform better on fitness tests. As the SBSM cofounder Professor William E. Simon likes to say, “exercise is preventive medicine.”

One Size Does Not Fit All

While it’s clear that programs targeting nutrition and exercise help, it isn’t clear why results aren’t easy to replicate from one zip code to another ... yet.

“Looking at our data it became very clear that we have families in census tracts right next to each other with very different obesity rates—one community where the trajectory was going up right next to another where it was going down, for reasons that weren’t clear,” says Dr. Shannon Whaley, Director of Research and Evaluation at Public Health Foundation Enterprises WIC (PHFE WIC). “Up to now, no study that I’m aware of has looked at the interplay between community-level environmental issues and early childhood obesity rates.”

What the public health community and concerned agencies have been lacking is a tool that can help them understand the myriad of cultural factors at play. And that’s exactly what a team of researchers at the FSPH is creating.

“We want to understand which strategies are most effective within the context of a specific neighborhood,” says Dr. May C. Wang , Professor, Department of Community Health Sciences at the FSPH. The result is an NIH-funded interdisciplinary project led by Wang and Dr. Michael Prelip of UCLA, in partnership with Whaley of PHFE WIC and others, called the Early Childhood Obesity Systems Science Study (ECOSyS).

ECOSyS innovatively applies methods from the field of systems science, to better understand the impact of various intervention strategies on childhood obesity in diverse neighborhood or community settings, and has the potential to advance knowledge about replicating and scaling-up interventions. For instance, preliminary findings suggest that interventions that promote breast-feeding may influence the effectiveness of child nutrition and physical activity programs on child growth.

“Rather than examine one program or policy at a time to see its impact, with systems science we can examine a collection of programs and policies all at once to determine their impact on obesity among the 2- to 5-year-old population,” says Dr. Prelip , Professor and Chair of Community Health Sciences at FSPH. It’s a breakthrough that promises to help agencies across the nation coordinate their efforts and utilize their finite resources on well-informed, comprehensive change.

The Choice is Ours

In less than a single lifetime, childhood obesity has become one of the greatest threats to our children. The causes are numerous, but more than ever before, our understanding of them is clear. With the knowledge gained through research and civic action, we can fight back together. It will take community-wide support as well as individual determination to create the systemic change our children need. But it is possible, and within our power, to help them make their next choice their best choice.

problem solution essay childhood obesity

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Home — Essay Samples — Nursing & Health — Childhood Obesity — Combatting Child Obesity

Combatting Child Obesity

Categories: Bullying Childhood Obesity

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Words: 802 |

Published: Jan 30, 2024

Words: 802 | Pages: 2 | 5 min read

Introduction, causes of child obesity, effects of child obesity, solutions to combat child obesity, role of parents and caregivers, sedentary lifestyle, unhealthy eating habits, physical health issues, emotional and psychological impact, promoting healthy eating habits, encouraging physical activity, government and policy interventions, educating themselves about nutrition and healthy lifestyles, creating a supportive home environment.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021). Childhood Obesity Facts. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/childhood.html
Healthy People 2030. (2021). Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity Objectives. Retrieved from https://health.gov/healthypeople/objectives-and-data/browse-objectives/nutrition-physical-activity-and-obesity
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2016). The Surgeon General's Call to Action to Prevent Childhood Obesity 2016. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK436791/pdf/Bookshelf_NBK436791.pdf

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Problem: Childhood Obesity in America

How it works

As you’ve probably heard, more children are becoming overweight today in America than ever before. Experts are calling this an “obesity epidemic.” To first understand childhood obesity we must ask ourselves what is obesity?

Obesity is a diet-related chronic disease involving excessive body fat that increases the risk of health problems. Many doctors have expressed obesity has an increasing problem in today’s youth as obesity can lead to many health issues such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and strokes these are serious health condition that can lead to death.

The graph above shows the correlation between obesity and type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes can lead to blindness, nerve damage, and kidney disease.

Obesity can also lead to coronary heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure furthermore increasing the health ramifications of obesity. Now childhood obesity is defined by the center of disease and control (CDC) as a diagnosis for any child same sex and age with a Body Mass Index at or above the 95th percentile. Not only those obesity affect kids physical but also mentally and emotionally with the constant feeling of insecurities and non-stop barrage of bullying by their peers because of their weight will take a toll on these young kids lives. Still many people will ignore the fact and reality that obesity is a real health threat that can kill and harm anyone that has this horrid disorder especially the kids who have to live with it everyday.

Throughout the years obesity has continued its meteoric rise into the lives of the youth in America. How does a nation let this happen? How do people let this happen to the future of our nation? How Do parents let this happen to the next generation? Kids whole life in shambles and on the brink of death. This must come to a halt and fast. Obesity is a fast-growing health and social pandemic among the youth,young adults, and kids of tomorrow due to careless eating habits and inadequate exercise.

What goes into the body is a very important. The body is like a car that needs to be maintained and taken care of. To keep a car going you have to get the oil change and put premium oil in the car. Same with the body to keep it functioning at its utmost perfection healthy nutrition is key. The problem with most obese kids in America is that they do not know the dangers of what they are putting in their bodies. Over the past decade over consumption of fast foods has risen and this has highly affected obesity rates. The Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported ” Fast foods are eleven percent of American diets”.

So many homes in America are spending money on foods that could kill them and their children. An average man needs 2500 calories to maintain normal body weight but one meal from Burger King contains 2000 calories alone. So eating a meal from Burger King twice a day puts the body two times over the normal calorie intake. All that fat stores in the body and leads to obesity. A kid eating fast foods throughout their lifetime will surely lead to weight related health issues later in life.

So instead of spending thousands of dollars yearly on foods that are nothing but harmful to the body households should consider fresh homemade foods. In this day and age there are plenty of websites and resources that shows how to obtain cheap healthy ingredients and healthy recipes.

Therefore many will argue that it is the parents fault for the increase of obesity in children in modern society with parents knowing fast foods is unhealthy. The kNOw Youth Media stated: Childhood obesity is a serious issue, but fast food restaurants are unfairly blamed for the problem. The real responsibility lies with parents, whose job it is to keep their children safe and healthy.

Parents need to set a good example about food and exercise in order to create healthy habits in their children, but the first step is that parents need to start thinking of obesity as a dangerous condition that can lead to serious health problems or even be life threatening.( Quoted in Parents Are Responsible for What Children Eat, Not Restaurants) Yes, it is a parent’s job to make sure their child is healthy and maintains a proper diet for healthy living but there is so much more to it.

For example an average home cooked meal only contains half the calories of meal from a fast food restaurant. So why do parents not just cook at home? Well cooking requires ingredients and good quality ingredients can be expensive. The price of a couple of a couple of chicken breast is the same has two buckets of KFC fried chicken. So lower income families cannot afford such luxuries. The government does provide food stamps but it is very limited. So has has a society there should be methods on how parents can be better informed on the nutrition for their kids and ways to better cook in the house on limited budgets. This will help the parents and kids reduce childhood obesity in America.

Furthermore, Exercise is also an essential part of maintaining the body healthy and reducing childhood obesity. A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association reported: Twenty minutes of physical activity per day over three months can reduce the risk of obesity in children,But 40 minutes of physical activity per day over three months is even better for children, the study also found, reducing more total body fat and the risk of developing obesity-related diseases like Type 2 diabetes and plaque buildup in the arteries.(Quoted in Children’s Health; “Exercise Dose and Diabetes Risk in Overweight and Obese Children”).

A few minutes outside can make a big difference, yet more kids are being more and more inactive. In modern society technology has consumed the time and lives of children. Instead of going outside for twenty minutes kids stay at home and watch tv, play games, or on their devices. A little jog outside, a game tag, hide and seek, throwing the football, even just a little walk can go long way for the health of kids. The graph above identifies how at the rise of technology the obesity rate has increased among the youth. Before the invention of televisions and video games kids used to have to go outside to entertain themselves.

These kids were unknowingly helping their own lives in becoming safe from weight related diseases and obesity. Yet, kids in this new century know the advantages of exercise and disadvantages of inactivity.Parents and the youth themselves should Turn off the television and video games it will do no harm but instead help lead a healthy life. Daily exercise can also offset genetic obesity. Therefore kids should go do what kids are suppose to do. Get up and go play.

In conclusion, Obesity is a serious health condition for the youth that must be addressed. Obese is a result of dietary issues and lack of activity. America is one of the most powerful nations in the world and should be taking care of the next generation of the country. For every problem there is a solution. Society must come together to find a solution for this unfortunate problem that the youth of America is facing. Society needs to band together to provide the kids of tomorrow a chance to live a healthier life and maintain that healthy lifestyle.

Childhood obesity is a horrid problem that kids across America must go through but working together has a nation will exterminate childhood obesity.

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Childhood Obesity as an International Problem Words: 2662
Childhood Obesity: Causes and Solutions Words: 886
Childhood Obesity Risks and Preventive Measures Words: 1519
Childhood Obesity, Its Definition and Causes Words: 685
Childhood Obesity and Family’s Responsibility Words: 933
Childhood Obesity and Its Solutions Words: 549
Childhood Obesity: Problem Issues Words: 1811
Childhood Obesity: Problem Analysis Words: 1869
Childhood Obesity and Nutrition Words: 4593
Childhood Obesity in the US: Factors and Challenges Words: 2685
Researching Childhood Obesity Issues Words: 547
Childhood Obesity and Community Nursing Intervention Words: 2888

Childhood Obesity Problem Solution

As a means of solving the previously discussed problem of childhood obesity, the author of the research proposes to develop custom healthy menus for schools under a program called “Soul Food.” This solution will work better than others because the menu will be based on the preferences of the children’s parents. This fact distinguishes Soul Food from other solutions in that it will eventually help the government and parents join forces in tackling such a challenging issue. The solution will ultimately be successful because it embraces parental love, healthy food, and effective administrative policies.

To address the problem of childhood obesity properly, it is essential to examine its roots as well as to identify specific ways to effectively create positive change. Because the problem of childhood obesity is so complex, both families and school staff should be involved in resolving it. Soul Food is the best solution because it offers an innovative approach to a relatively new problem. The secret behind it lies in the fact that parents will be involved in the project as the main actors, along with the willing cooperation of school administration.

The uniqueness of such an approach sets this solution apart from most of the other equally good solutions. The aspect that is missing from other solutions is an understanding of how to make children eat healthily without imposing it on them at the same time. It is a known psychological fact that children are more likely to eat healthy food if it is presented in the form of a cheeseburger or some other popular type of junk food. Some people think that the solution to childhood obesity lies in using tort law to sue McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, and other corporations, but suing a company is not going to solve the essential causes of the problem (Sugarman & Sandman, 2007).

Although the Soul Food solution is still untested, researchers will be able to collect data carefully, process it, and reach a verdict that is reasonable and factual. This solution has a greater chance for success because it combines not only the parents’ opinion on the school menu but also the school administration’s approval. This solution is unique and represents an idea of how schools can serve smaller portions of healthier food that looks like junk food—effectively tricking children into eating healthier food because they love the unhealthy food it mimics (Singh & Davidson, 2015).

To successfully implement this solution, the initial step that must be taken is the written approval of the school where the project will take place. The second step is the writing, elaboration, and ratification of the menu itself. The solution will be implemented by the school’s administration under the guidance of a food-processing expert, a professional nutritionist, and a qualified pediatrician.

When the solution is implemented, all kinds of possible positive and negative outcomes are expected so that the program could be adapted to the current situation on the fly.

The investment required to implement Soul Food is worthwhile because children are the future of our country, and childhood obesity is a significant problem that affects not only their physical health but their mental state as well (Söderback, 2015). The essential resource the research relies on is money. In this section of your draft, you will expand on these ideas, specifically organizing your paper according to the aspects detailed below.

The plan is worthwhile in terms of time, energy, and money, and it will ultimately result in a reduced number of children with heart disease and other health problems that arise as a result of consuming junk food. Soul Food’s fight against obesity will start on a local scale, but if the strategy turns out to be effective, it should be applied to all the schools within the state. To determine the benefits of the solution, the author of the research analyzed the benefits of the program to prove what he outlined earlier in the thesis.

To make the solution a successful reality, researchers must first survey the parents to identify the meals that the majority of the parents would like to see on their children’s plates. Assuming that parents will most likely have a preference for natural food products, school budget costs will increase due to the purchase of natural products.

Cost of Current School Menu vs. Proposed School Menu.

Figure 1: This chart shows the cost of the current school menu (in millions of dollars) in blue in the first, second, and third years of the program. The cost of the proposed new menu is shown in red for the same three years.

To conclude the research, the expenses of the Soul Food program will be worth the effort if the plan works out. As shown above, in Figure 1, the proposed system will save thousands (and even millions) of dollars in the short term as well as in the long term. Moreover, because the solution includes the active participation of both parties, the idea will likely appeal to both pupils’ parents and the school administration. If it does not, the plan can be easily adapted to the needs of the school and rerun under the watchful supervision of the experts.

It is important to understand that the problem of childhood obesity will not be resolved overnight. However, the methodology described in this research shows a good example of a new way to look at the issue as a whole and offers one specific potential solution to a serious health problem that affects children, families, and schools all over the country.

Singh, D. J., & Davidson, J. (2015). Controlling Child Obesity – Keeping Your Children Healthy . London: Mendon Cottage Books.

Söderback, I. (2015). International Handbook of Occupational Therapy Interventions . Berlin: Springer.

Sugarman, S., & Sandman, N. (2007). Fighting Childhood Obesity through Performance-Based Regulation of the Food Industry . Duke Law Journal, 56 (6), 1403-1490. Web.

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The Childhood Obesity in Toledo, Ohio: Problem and Possible Solutions Problem Solution Essay

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Introduction

Childhood obesity: causes, proposed solutions, works cited.

Childhood obesity has been on the increase in the United States with negative implications on the health of children. Toledo, Ohio has not been spared of this obesity crisis and rates of obesity continue to rise in the region. The high prevalence rate of obesity among children in Toledo is a cause for alarm and it requires direct action aimed at coming up with effective strategies and programs to prevent or alleviate the problem among the population.

Owing to the fact that obesity reduces the quality of life and shortens the lifespan of the person, it is of importance that solutions be developed to deal with this problem in children. In recognition of this fact, Toledo Mayor Mike Bell led a delegation of high-profile leaders, earlier on in the year, to a meeting in Washington where they sought solutions to the childhood obesity epidemic that the Toledo area faces (Boyd-Barrett 1).

This paper will propose feasible solutions for the obesity problem that Toledo faces. The paper shall begin by highlighting the major causes of childhood obesity in Toledo. Solutions which include: healthy eating, dietary education in schools and increase in physical exercise will be proposed as the best ways to counter childhood obesity. The paper will make use of authoritative sources on the subject to reinforce the proposals made.

While there are a number of causes of obesity, Jelalian and Steele declare that overindulgence in unhealthy foods and limited physical exercise are the major causes of the problem (23). This assertion is reinforced by the fact that obesity is mostly limited to people who eat unhealthily and exhibit limited physical exercise. Among the children in Toledo, unhealthy dietary habits are core to the increase in obesity.

The home and school environments are some of the major causes of these unhealthy eating habits. In the school environment, many elements such as vending machines and the fast foods offered at cafeterias encourage unhealthy eating habits. These fast foods contain trans fats which have been linked to increased risk of heart diseases and have also been grossly implicated other health conditions including obesity and diabetes (Frary 56).

There is also limited availability of healthy foods. Boyd-Barret notes that Toledo is aflicted by a scarcity of grocery stores. In the places there the stores are available, they seldom have any fresh fruits or vegetables to offer. This is in contrast to the high availability of fast food restaurants which are virtually around every corner.

Another reason for the prevalence of childhood obesity in the region is a lack of nutritional education by the children. Lucas County Commissioner, Pete Gerken, noted that children are “not as well-educated as they should be about exercise and diet” which is what has made childhood obesity the number 1 health issue in Toledo (Boyd-Barrett 1). Nutrition education is also fundamental to the success of any obesity alleviation efforts since it can lead to the adoption of healthy lifestyles.

Lack of proper exercising has also led to the increase of obesity in children. Elected officials report that the obesity problem that Toledo faces is “exacerbated by poor community planning and urban environments that fail to provide people with enough recreational opportunities where they live” (Boyd-Barrett 1). Without exercising facilities, children are bound to continue with their unhealthy sedentary lifestyle which comprises of playing video games and watching TV.

It has been elaborately shown that the quality of food served to children in the school setting is of low nutritional value and unhealthy. Economic considerations result in fast foods being preferred in school cafeterias over healthy foods. Unhealthy fast foods are lower priced compared healthier meals which not only cost significantly more but they also take longer to prepare.

The foods that are available to children in schools are mostly made up of snacks, fast foods and sodas; all of which are rich in unhealthy fats, sugars and salt. With this in mind, it is evident that the key to solving the problem of childhood obesity is an overhaul of the school nutrition program.

To begin with, schools should endeavor to get rid of fast foods in schools. The very presence of fast foods undermines the health foods since fast foods are not only cheaper but also sweater. Research by Frary et al indicated that the number of fruit and vegetable intakes by children decreased as intakes of sugar-sweetened beverages increased (61).

It can therefore be inferred that decrease in junk foods and sodas will result in an increase in healthier food intake. Without a doubt, the funding of healthy eating programs would be expensive to the parents and the schools. Money is a major consideration since poverty is a big challenge for Toledo where nearly 20% of residents receive food assistance (Boyd-Barrett 1).

As such, it will be necessary for schools to participate in the Federal Meal program. These programs adhere to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) thus providing students with nutritious meals. These meals are reimbursable by the state thus greatly decreasing the price per meal making them much more affordable.

Proper education on nutrition and proper diet is one of the means through which obesity can be combated in Toledo. The CDC highlights the need for provision of nutritional education guidelines to school-age youths so as to ensure that health lifestyles are adopted early in life and perpetrated all through adulthood.

A solution that increases knowledge on proper diet and exercise is therefore appropriate. Schools are the venue through which this solution can be implemented Schools are a major influence for children and they are responsible for instilling principles in the child’s life. Schetzina et al declare that the most effective means through which a healthy eating culture can be ingrained in the minds of children is if they are taught this at the earliest stage possible (23).

Devoting some educational time to teaching children sound nutritional principles may result in the children adopting favorable lifestyles. The incorporation of nutrition education at the elementary school level would increase the likelihood of children adopting healthy eating habits which would continue through their lives. This would reduce the risk of the children developing obesity even more.

Proper exercising is another means through which childhood obesity can be curbed in the region. Physical activity in children can be encouraged through physical education. As it currently stands, physical education has taken a back seat as schools lay more emphasis on studies and other academically oriented activities.

This clearly indicates the low priority that Physical education is given in schools. As a result of this, there are minimal opportunities for children to be physically active during school time and the physical education classes are one of the first to suffer when budgetary cuts are necessitated in schools (Jelalian and Steele 34).

The reality is that in most schools in Toledo, physical education classes are been squeezed out as pressure increases for students to raise their performance in the subjects which are examinable. Considering the importance of physical education, parents and teachers should continue to advocate for improved physical activity opportunities for children in schools.

Physical education classes should be consistent and regular and inclusive of all the students to make sure that every student benefits from proper exercising. At the community level, there is lack of proper facilities where people can exercise. The community should therefore continue to pressure the local authorities to improve the social amenities available. In particular, calls for creation of parks and other recreational spaces should be made so as to encourage healthy living.

This paper set out to highlight a problem that affects the Toledo community and propose feasible solutions to the same. The paper has addressed the issue of childhood obesity, which is a major problem since it affects children who are the future of the community.

This paper has proposed feasible solutions which are not only desirable but are the means through which we can restore the health of the children. It has been demonstrated that the biggest cause of obesity is poor eating habits exhibited by the school children and the lack of physical education programs in the schools.

As such, for any solution to yield favorable results, it must set out to tackle these core issues of nutrition and physical education. While the solutions proposed in this paper will come at a cost, the solutions will result in improved health of the children. This will be beneficial to all since the children are the future of the community.

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Open access
Published: 21 August 2024

A systems thinking framework for understanding rising childhood obesity in the Caribbean

Leonor Guariguata 1 , 3 ,
Amy Burlar 2 ,
Natalie Greaves 3 ,
Heather Harewood 3 ,
R. Raveed Khan 4 ,
Rosa V. Rosario-Rosado 5 ,
Waneisha Jones 3 ,
Brita Roy 6 &
Saria Hassan 7

Health Research Policy and Systems volume 22 , Article number: 115 ( 2024 ) Cite this article

49 Accesses

Metrics details

The aim of this study is to develop a systems thinking framework to describe the common complexities of childhood obesity in the Caribbean region and identify potential areas of intervention.

Group model building (GMB) is a form of systems science. Trained GMB facilitators in Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, Barbados, and Trinidad and Tobago convened a group of multi-disciplinary stakeholders in a series of virtual meetings in 2021 to elaborate a hypothesis of the system driving childhood obesity represented by causal loop diagrams (CLD). Commonalities and differences between the CLDs from each island were identified and reconciled to create a synthesized CLD.

A single explanatory CLD across the islands was developed and includes nine reinforcing loops. These loops addressed the interconnected role of schools, policy, commercial determinants, community and the personal experience of the child in rising childhood obesity rates.

Conclusions

Despite differences across settings, there is a core system driving childhood obesity in the Caribbean, as described by stakeholders in GMB workshops. Policy solutions to the problem must be multi-faceted and multi-level to address the interlinked reinforcing loops of the complex system and reduce rates of childhood obesity.

Peer Review reports

Introduction

Childhood obesity is on the rise globally [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]. Obesity has traditionally been characterized as a disease of lifestyle, with a presupposed bias that individuals’ choices are at the root of its cause. However, a growing body of literature points to drivers embedded in the structure of society as significant contributors of childhood obesity. These include access to healthy foods [ 1 , 4 ], the built environment[ 5 ], and, for children, the school and home environments [ 6 ], all of which interact in complex ways [ 7 ]. The Innocenti Framework proposed by Raza et al. [ 8 ] shows the cyclical nature of food systems that determine dietary patterns for children, setting eating habits that may persist throughout the lifecourse and heavily influence the future risk for NCDs. This framework recognizes the complex factors influencing the food system for children but does not include physical activity, arguably one of the most significant primary modifiable behavioural risk factors for obesity. Indeed, physical inactivity among youth in the Caribbean is high [ 9 ], with its own set of complex drivers and determinants. Frameworks exist for improving physical activity in children, but they centre mostly around the school environment [ 10 ], which is only a part of the environment in which children live. Given the complexity of the problem of childhood obesity, there is growing evidence that, for sustainable effect, multicomponent, multi-disciplinary and multi-environment interventions are needed.

The Caribbean region, a diverse mix of countries and territories comprised mostly of islands, with many small island developing states [ 11 ], shares a common rising and high burden of childhood obesity. The region has established reducing the burden of obesity and related non-communicable diseases (NCDs) as a political priority [ 12 ]. However, despite this political momentum, enacted policies have failed to reduce the rising prevalence of obesity [ 12 ].

Systems thinking provides an approach to understand and address complex problems, such as childhood obesity [ 13 , 14 ]. Indeed, systems thinking has been embedded in the development of and frameworks related to obesity and its determinants [ 15 ]. Some of these have been derived using participatory approaches with key stakeholders and others solely through reviews of the literature or from the perspective of the authors. Adding stakeholder input can bring broad and “real world” perspectives to building conceptual models, leading to joint learning and the development of dynamic hypotheses [ 16 ].

We present a framework causal loop diagram for the Caribbean that links the complex modifiable determinants of childhood obesity (social, economic and environmental) using a stakeholder-driven systems approach. The framework recognizes the common drivers of the rising obesity epidemic, some unique to the Caribbean and some with considerable overlap with other parts of the world. Finally, together with stakeholders, it explores potential areas of intervention to change the trajectory of childhood obesity.

This framework was devised as part of a larger study: the paediatric cohort of the Eastern Caribbean Health Outcomes Research Network (P-ECHORN) study. P-ECHORN seeks to characterize intergenerational factors that contribute to paediatric cardiovascular risk. Understanding the determinants of the high and rising burden of childhood obesity in the Caribbean is a key component to developing successful interventions [ 17 ].

The participatory group model building process

The established methods of participatory group model building (GMB) were used to engage stakeholders in constructing the framework presented here [ 18 , 19 ]. Between two and four group model building sessions were held with key stakeholders in each of the study settings: the United States Virgin Islands (USVI), Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados. Stakeholders included a mix of health professionals, civil society members, public health planners and researchers with perspectives on childhood obesity, education, nutrition and physical activity (Appendix A). Stakeholders were purposively recruited to ensure diverse perspectives that spanned the education, healthcare and policy systems. Eligibility included the ability to speak English or Spanish (Puerto Rico) and availability for the scheduled GMB sessions.

The GMB sessions are facilitated by persons trained in the methods of GMB. Facilitators follow a set of clear “scripts” to guide stakeholders though the process of developing a causal loop diagram and identifying feedback loops [ 19 ]. The process uses iterative steps where stakeholders define the problem and how it is changing over time, prioritize the factors contributing to the problem, identify the consequences of the problem and then illustrate how they are related in feedback loops. The group then discusses the feedback loops to identify potential points for intervention. Due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the sessions were conducted virtually [ 20 ].

Using this approach, each site developed a causal loop diagram to explain the rising burden of childhood obesity in the study settings and identify points of intervention. Individual diagrams were then combined and synthesized by the researchers into a framework causal loop diagram that included the major pathways and feedback loops common to all the settings. The composition of the stakeholders attending each virtual workshop can be found in Appendix A. The causal loop diagrams resulting from these sessions are presented in Appendix B.

Once the causal loop diagrams for each island were finalized, the research team reviewed them to identify commonalities. The shared themes contributed to the overarching causal loop diagram described in this paper.

The diagrams are drawn using conventions typical to system dynamics causal loop diagrams [ 21 ]. Briefly, the arrows in the diagram show a causal relationship between two variables. A plus sign next to an arrow indicates that a change in one variable leads to a change in the connected variable in the same direction. For example, a rise in policies supporting health will lead to a rise in healthy communities (denoted by the + symbol), and similarly a decrease in policies would lead to a decrease in health in communities. A negative symbol indicates an opposite relationship. For instance, increasing physical education in schools will reduce physical inactivity. Similarly, a decrease in healthy communities would lead to a greater acceptance of childhood obesity. Loops are indicated by a circular arrow symbol with a label in the centre. The “R” indicates a reinforcing loop that leads to growth or decay for the variables connected. Balancing loops are labelled with a “B”, indicating goal-seeking or stabilizing behaviour. Over time, balancing loops lead to an equilibrium in a system and can often explain a lack of increase or decrease in an outcome. There are no balancing loops identified by stakeholders in this framework. However, a simple example of a balancing loop could be: a person is hungry, which means they eat more food, and eating more food then makes the person less hungry.

Causal loop diagram

Figure 1 presents the framework CLD derived from the multi-island stakeholder group model building sessions in the Caribbean. The CLD shows multiple interacting and connected reinforcing loops that are nested within each other, each contributing to a high and rising burden of childhood obesity. We divided the diagram into three thematic areas to describe these pathways, understanding that these domains overlap and interact, and are not distinct in their relationship to childhood obesity and the environments driving it. The three areas are school and community environments, policy and commercial determinants and the experience of the child. Each is described in turn with the corresponding loops and pathways.

School, household, and community environments

School, Household, and Community Determinants

School, household and community environments represent the world in which children live, learn and develop health-related behaviours. Stakeholders across all study settings described current environments that did not put an emphasis on physical activity or healthy diets for children. When parents try to improve their children’s health, their efforts are undermined by the ubiquitous presence of unhealthy foods in and around schools and physical spaces that are not conducive to engaging in physical activity or active transportation. This partly explains the generally low level of physical activity among children in the Caribbean [ 2 ] and the high consumption of unhealthy foods such as sugar-sweetened beverages [ 22 ]. Unhealthy school environments have a direct impact on decreasing healthy living practices for children, undermining health in the community and, over time, weakening community support for policies supportive of health [ 1 ]. This sets up a feedback loop whereby communities are less connected to, and less supportive of, policies that are designed to strengthen healthy environments. The nature of the feedback loop means that an absence of health-promoting policies can lead to communities over time becoming less accepting of those policies. Stakeholders described school environments that favoured academic learning over physical activity and often sacrificed recreational time or physical education for more study time for students. In addition, they also described school environments being surrounded by unhealthy food either being sold directly within the school, sometimes at the demand of parents, or by vendors positioned near schools. The unhealthy school environments described by several stakeholders are a direct result of the lack of government-led regulation of these drivers of poor health.

Stakeholders posited that a community that experiences the health benefits of health-supporting policies would be empowered to support and vote for those policies [ 4 ]. Currently, communities were described by stakeholders as being generally unhealthy, which is reflected by high levels of obesity and NCDs in the region [ 23 ], and this is driving a shift in social and cultural norms that make childhood obesity more acceptable and normalized [ 8 ]. Social norms undermine the health of communities through the normalization of childhood obesity and are reinforced by the structural determinants of poor diet, including a lack of access to healthy foods, low health literacy and the historical and cultural practices that can include unhealthy dietary components [ 24 ]. However, stakeholders across all islands remarked on the strong influence of fast foods, ultra-processed foods and foods prepared outside the home as drivers of an unhealthy dietary pattern [ 25 ]. This further drives the commercial market, which then reinforces an obesogenic environment [ 9 ]. A more detailed discussion on policy and commercial determinants is presented below.

The household environment plays a critical role in the development of food and physical activity habits for the child. Some of the determinants of household food consumption were described by stakeholders as being driven by social norms and acceptability of unhealthy foods. Other determinants, however, were external, such as the affordability and accessibility of healthy foods relative to unhealthy ones as a consistent problem across the Caribbean. Stakeholders reported an increasing number of households with working caregivers or parents, and more single-parent households which limit the time for food preparation or for engaging in leisure or physical activity. Many meals are consumed or bought pre-made outside the household where the nutritional content depends on preparation outside the home.

Policy and commercial determinants

One of the major barriers to enacting effective policies is, according to stakeholders, the influence of commercial interests on policy and communities. These interests include the producers and sellers of unhealthy foods (both multinational and local) and urban and rural development that depends on car use. The many complex factors driving these determinants are shown in the island-specific CLDs in the appendix. Direct marketing and lobbying of policy-makers for commercial interests undermine policies supportive of health [ 26 , 27 ]. Examples of this include the attempts of the ultra-processed food industry to influence World Health Organization policies related to non-communicable diseases [ 28 ]. This leads to unhealthier communities that are dependent on and supportive of those interests (in part through marketing and its effects in changing social norms) [ 29 ], and finally, reinforces the power of those commercial interests to drive policy [ 6 ]. The impact of commercial interests could be reduced by the actions of communities to drive policy [ 4 ], but stakeholders at the time felt that the community action loop did not dominate over commercial interests.

Experience of the child

The establishment of environments and social norms that are obesogenic have a direct impact on the likelihood of a child developing obesity. The child has a limited impact on these external factors. Nevertheless, obesity can have serious negative effects on the physical and mental health of the child, which may, in turn, hamper their ability to engage in healthy behaviours, further exacerbating obesity [ 10 ]. The external factors of structural determinants of health are often overlooked by public health policy. Rather, public health initiatives tend to focus on individual behaviour change. For example, public health messaging directed at adults, recommending a healthy diet and increased exercise, has had limited impact. Similarly, initiatives focused on child individual-behaviour change are unlikely to succeed, according to stakeholders. This is largely because the child’s behaviour is influenced by external factors shaped by caregivers, community, schools and policy. Examples mentioned by stakeholders include the discouragement of recreational play in schools and unsafe neighbourhoods limiting physical activity. These cultural and structural barriers play an outsized role in limiting the region’s ability to reduce childhood obesity. Specific policies and supportive environments that address these external determinants are critical.

Identifying interventions

Intervening for childhood obesity.

Upon reviewing the CLD, stakeholders emphasized the need for a coordinated, all-of-society approach to changing the trajectories of childhood obesity in the region. They emphasized the limited benefits of engaging only in schools [ 1 ] or through policies focused only on diets [ 4 , 6 ] and favoured a global and all-encompassing intervention that worked with policy-makers, communities, parents and the children themselves for a healthier environment. They described the need for skills building (for example, health literacy, food literacy, physical activity techniques and options, etc.) through education for both children and their parents. This would address reinforcing loops [ 8 , 10 , 30 ] – education would improve healthy eating, address social norms of obesity and reduce the mental and physical health impact of obesity. Interventions discussed also included significant infrastructure overhauls to make physical activity more accessible and safer for children, including safe and protected pavements for walking and spaces for recreation [ 4 , 5 ]. In addition, mandating the refocusing of school curricula to include physical education and healthy eating (currently lacking in the Caribbean) would recognize and enshrine the impact of schools on child health. Currently, the physical environment is centred around the use of cars for transportation, and leisure time is spent mostly on sedentary activities. Safe infrastructure for active transport and physical activity beyond just engaging in competitive sports were priorities for stakeholders. Stakeholders also saw a role for greater regulation of commercial interests [ 6 , 9 , 29 ], but felt that this should not be the only avenue for improving healthy environments in schools. Stakeholders called for public health actions such as the adoption and enforcement of regional standards for school food environments, the adoption of consistent food labelling for the region, and enshrining childhood obesity in the public health policy agenda.

Unique experiences of Caribbean islands and countries

The framework presented above is meant to be used to understand the common drivers of childhood obesity across the Caribbean. However, for each study site, unique drivers and outcomes emerged in the group model building process. Stakeholders in Barbados were especially focused on the school environment, emphasizing the damaging effects of unhealthy food both within and just outside of schools. They described how schools use the sale of unhealthy foods in fundraisers because they appeal to the children, and parents are accepting of this practice. This example shows how it may not be enough to mandate healthy foods in lunch menus; rather, focus must be placed on a healthy food environment for the whole school and surrounding areas. Stakeholders in Barbados also discussed the lack of physical activity in schools, where competitive sports are often encouraged, but not physical education for all students. They described how transportation to and from school is often motorized either due to preferences by the parents or because of safety concerns with roads that lack maintained pavements.

Stakeholders in USVI described specific concerns in communities where they felt a lack of parental guidance and supervision around food choices was a problem. They also felt that, in their communities, there was a general perception that children were unsafe outside due to high rates of crime and lack of safe places for recreation. This perception is not unique to USVI and has been found in other studies in the Caribbean [ 31 ].

Stakeholders from both Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados felt that there was a lack of investment in schools and national public health campaigns focused on childhood obesity. This was contributing to childhood obesity not being seen as a problem or a public health priority, supporting harmful social norms.

Finally, stakeholders in Puerto Rico added a dimension not discussed in other groups: the clinical environment. They stated that childhood obesity is regarded as a serious concern for health professionals; yet, there was no interprofessional education throughout the academic preparation of healthcare professionals that was focused on the integration of obesity prevention. They noted a lack of integrated clinical services and the available time for healthcare providers to provide counselling to families regarding weight management could be exacerbating the problem.

This framework, which is derived from multiple, diverse stakeholders across several islands in the Caribbean, explains the rise in childhood obesity across the region. It depicts three key interconnected domains: the school and community environment (including structural components of the built environment), policy, and child experience. While these domains have been described previously by others, they have not been interlinked using a participatory systems approach. This framework allows us to examine how the school, built and policy environments collectively affect obesity, and how adverse physical and mental health consequences experienced by the child as a result of obesity, in turn, drive further obesity. One of the pillars of systems thinking is that intervening at any point in a feedback system can affect change. Thus, a causal loop diagram can present a roadmap for identifying key points of entry for change. In this CLD, proposed interventions included recommendations found in the WHO Global Action Plan for Physical Activity, which also discusses the importance of the school environment [ 32 ]. In addition, the CLD demonstrates the importance of addressing wider societal drivers, including commercial determinants of health, the impact of government policies and the central role that these have on households and communities.

These complex interactions must be considered when designing interventions for effectiveness and sustainability. Policies for childhood obesity may fail if they focus on just one aspect of the system. The recommendation to consider and intervene in the system as a whole aligns well with the conceptual framework put forth by the Lancet Commission Global Obesity Syndemic [ 3 ], which also took a systems approach to the determinants of obesity. This paper demonstrates how areas of high leverage may be explored using causal loop diagrams, which are useful for generating dynamic hypotheses [ 33 ].

While other frameworks exist for reducing childhood obesity, these were developed in large, high-income countries and may not translate to the particular needs of the Caribbean [ 34 ]. The areas of intervention discussed by stakeholders in this study align well with global recommendations [ 23 , 35 , 36 ], but unique Caribbean cultural drivers and norms that have deep historical roots must be considered and included in the design and implementation of policies for obesity. Much of the Caribbean shares a history of slavery or colonization which influenced the way people view food, the act of eating and engaging in physical activity [ 37 , 38 ]. Food is also a powerful cultural unifier among Caribbean populations [ 39 ]. Participants in this study were aware of these perspectives and reiterated the importance of engaging directly with Caribbean decision-makers and stakeholders to create interventions that are not in conflict with this context.

In addition, this framework highlights the Caribbean region’s focus on the commercial determinants of health and their role in sustaining the obesogenic environment. Commercial determinants of health are not explicitly recognized in prevention strategies and are very present in the Caribbean through high levels of food importation and influences from outside markets such as the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, over which the region has no jurisdiction [ 40 ]. The Caribbean itself has relatively little power in shaping the regulation of multinational commercial actors, being a region with a comparatively low population and where the importation of foods plays an outsized role. Nevertheless, there are examples of efforts to counteract these commercial determinants of health: the Healthy Caribbean Coalition has called for the adoption of food labels, which have been shown to be effective, and several islands have implemented sugar-sweetened beverage taxes [ 41 , 42 ]. These measures are part of a larger effort to implement policies and regulation in the region to curb the obesity epidemic and are actively being attacked by industry actors [ 43 ]. This framework highlights the importance of intervening not just in the food environment but also to provide more structural support for an environment enabling physical activity. This finding has been found elsewhere in similar studies in the Caribbean and would support a coordinated effort such as the one initiated for the regulation of unhealthy foods [ 44 ]. To date, most interventions at the Caribbean level, including the Caribbean Moves initiative, centre on engaging in exercise and ad hoc physical activity events which do not support the long-term structural changes called for by this framework [ 45 ]. Indeed, the types of policies that could be developed using this framework extend beyond the traditional realm of “health” and concern many social determinants as well, including housing and safe neighbourhoods, income and employment stability for households and accessibility across all communities to healthful environments.

Reducing obesity in children is important not just for their own health but for the health of entire communities. The behaviours learned in adolescence can have a long-term impact on behaviours in adulthood and shift the outcomes related to these behaviours including obesity and NCDs [ 10 ]. Furthermore, the behaviours and norms established in childhood can be passed on to the next generation, setting up an intergenerational impact on obesity. The Caribbean region is adopting a number of policies that have the potential to shift this trend, including healthy school standards, limitations on the marketing of unhealthy foods to kids and public health physical activity initiatives targeting children [ 22 , 35 ]. Civil society advocacy groups such as the Healthy Caribbean Coalition have provided a framework for civil society action in support of national efforts to prevent and control childhood obesity. While these initiatives are encouraging, the lack of a coherent and coordinated plan leaves these interventions vulnerable to failure. Using a framework such as the one presented here can help organize and coordinate those efforts if all areas are considered and mitigation plans are put in place. They can also aid in evaluating progress across the whole system.

In addition, the influence of factors such as tourism and the diaspora on the behaviours and beliefs of the community is unique to the Caribbean. Stakeholders described how tourism shapes the way in which foods are brought in from other parts of the world, and this influences local populations. Studies have shown shifting dietary patterns towards more unhealthy foods in the Caribbean diaspora which is always in contact with people in the region [ 46 ]. The social aspirations linked with living a lifestyle closer to those of US or UK populations has been documented elsewhere in Caribbean studies [ 47 ]. While these aspects may not directly affect children, they are present in communities and households, where children experience their impact.

This framework uses a systems approach to connect the different domains of the obesogenic environment for children into a dynamic single hypothesis about childhood obesity in the Caribbean. The framework from Garcia et al. [ 48 ] (for Latinx and Latin American populations), developed using a systems approach, shares many of the same concepts as the one described here. Our paper adds to this existing literature by operationalizing the general action framework of Garcia et al. through the engagement of key stakeholders to develop a detailed and culturally relevant childhood obesity framework specific to the Caribbean context.

This framework is sensitive to the realities of the Caribbean, which is made up mostly of small island developing states (SIDS) that share common features: small geographic territories, developing economies, high levels of within-island inequalities, a high level of food importation (which is often ultra-processed) and a unique vulnerability to climate change [ 3 ]. These features should be considered when designing and implementing interventions for the region, and recommendations from other parts of the world may not fit entirely within this context. There is a high promise of life-long gains in health when reducing childhood obesity; however, changes must be systemic and sustained over decades [ 49 ]. For example, childhood obesity in the United States seems to have plateaued and may be falling as a result of recent policy initiatives [ 50 ].

Strengths and limitations

This is the first multi-Caribbean Island stakeholder-driven framework on childhood obesity from a developing region. The insights derived here align well with other frameworks from high-income countries [ 51 ] and may provide knowledge for the SIDS and developing country regions facing the same rise in childhood obesity. However, important limitations exist. Group model building is sensitive to stakeholders selected for participation. While this framework used key stakeholders who are experts in public health, no community members were explicitly included, although the stakeholders themselves are members of their communities. Nevertheless, this may be a limitation in terms of key insights that could inform the framework. Many of the key stakeholders themselves are parents in the Caribbean and could speak to their experiences in that capacity; however, including the children themselves would strengthen this framework. Furthermore, because the stakeholders were participating in a professional capacity, there is a strong likelihood that vulnerable and low socioeconomic status populations were under-represented. Stakeholders were asked to consider their perspectives with regards to their own experience, but having representation from these communities would have given a more complete view of some of the inequalities which may be present within communities. This was not done because of ethical considerations and due to issues in implementing the group model building workshops virtually because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The drivers of childhood obesity in the Caribbean are complex and embedded in societies. Changing the trajectory of rising childhood obesity in the region will require a coordinated, all-of-society approach and commitment that works with policy, community, schools and children together.

Availability of data and materials

All study data are available from authors upon reasonable request.

Abbreviations

Group model building

Non-communicable diseases

Paediatric cohort of the Eastern Caribbean Health Outcomes Research Network

US Virgin Islands

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the Eastern Caribbean Health Outcomes Research Network team for their support

This project was funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH)/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI; PI: Nunez-Smith; HL143785). S.H. was supported by NIH/NHLBI (PI: Hassan; K23152368). Views expressed in this paper are those of the authors and do not present the perspective of the funders.

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Leonor Guariguata

School of Nursing, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, USA

Department of Pre-Clinical and Health Sciences, Faculty of Medical Sciences, The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill, Bridgetown, Barbados

Leonor Guariguata, Natalie Greaves, Heather Harewood & Waneisha Jones

Department of Para Clinical Sciences, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad

R. Raveed Khan

Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Puerto Rico at Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico, USA

Rosa V. Rosario-Rosado

Department of Population Health, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, USA

Department of Medicine, Emory School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA

Saria Hassan

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L.G., S.H. and B.R. conceptualized the study. The facilitator for the CLD was A.B. in the USVI; H.H., W.J. and N.G. in Barbados; R.K. in Trinidad and Tobago; and R.V.R. in Puerto Rico. L.G. wrote the first draft of the manuscript with extensive revisions by S.H. All authors reviewed and provided edits and comments to the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Saria Hassan .

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Guariguata, L., Burlar, A., Greaves, N. et al. A systems thinking framework for understanding rising childhood obesity in the Caribbean. Health Res Policy Sys 22 , 115 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12961-024-01201-y

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Understanding childhood weight problems

Causes of weight problems and obesity in children, to combat weight problems, get the whole family involved, make healthier food choices.

Don't go no fat, go good fat

Be smart about snacks and sweet food

Watch portion sizes, get your kids moving, reduce screen time, body image and disordered eating, childhood obesity and weight problems.

Are you concerned about your child’s weight or eating habits? These tips can help your child reach and maintain a healthier weight.

Reviewed by Rose Britt, RDN, CNSC , a Certified Registered Dietitian at Top Nutrition Coaching working with clients who have pediatric feeding disorders and ARFID, as well as those looking to reduce feeding and mealtime battles

As a parent, few things are cuter than your full-cheeked baby or the chubby knees of your toddler. For some children, however, that adorable baby fat may turn into a health concern.

Today, nearly one out of five children and teens in the United States are overweight or obese. The picture is similar in many other developed countries. Those extra pounds put kids at risk for developing serious health problems, including diabetes, heart disease, and asthma. Childhood obesity also takes an emotional toll. Overweight children often have trouble keeping up with other kids and joining in sports and activities. Other kids may tease and exclude them, leading to low self-esteem, negative body image, and even depression .

If you’re watching your child struggle with their weight, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed or helpless. But there’s plenty you can do to help your child. Diagnosing weight problems and obesity as early as possible can reduce your child’s risk of developing serious medical conditions as they get older. And by getting the whole family involved, you can break the cycle of weight problems and obesity, boost your child’s physical and mental health, and help them establish a healthy relationship with food that will last a lifetime. Whatever your child’s weight, let them know that you love them and that all you want to do is help them be healthy and happy.

Is your child overweight?

Children grow at different rates at different times, so it is not always easy to tell if a child is overweight. Body mass index (BMI) uses height and weight measurements to estimate how much body fat a child has. However, while BMI is usually a good indicator, it is NOT a perfect measure of body fat and can even be misleading at times when children are experiencing periods of rapid growth.

[Read: Healthy Food for Kids]

If your child registers a high BMI-for-age measurement, your doctor may need to perform further assessments and screenings to determine if excess fat is a problem.

Speak to a Licensed Therapist

BetterHelp is an online therapy service that matches you to licensed, accredited therapists who can help with depression, anxiety, relationships, and more. Take the assessment and get matched with a therapist in as little as 48 hours.

Understanding how children become overweight in the first place is an important step toward breaking the cycle. However, the causes of childhood weight problems are complex and may include:

Busy families cooking at home less and eating out more.
Easier access to cheap, high-calorie fast food and junk food.
Limited access to fresh produce and grocery stores.
Limited access to safe spaces for children to play and move.
Large food portions, both in restaurants and at home.
Kids consuming higher amounts of calories from sugar in sweetened drinks (such as soda, juice, and sports drinks).
Kids spending less time actively playing outside, and more time sitting in front of screens.
Schools eliminating or cutting back physical education programs.

Myths and Facts about Weight Problems and Obesity in Children

Childhood obesity is genetic, so there’s nothing you can do about it.

Obesity is a complex issue and can be influenced by a combination of factors, including genetics, environment, and behavior. While researchers are still studying the exact role of genetics in obesity, the good news is that you can promote healthy lifestyle changes in your family at any time.

Children who are obese or overweight should be put on a diet.

Unless directed by your child’s doctor otherwise, the treatment for childhood obesity is not weight loss. The goal should be to slow or stop weight gain, allowing your child to grow into their ideal weight.

It’s just baby fat. Children will outgrow the weight.

Childhood obesity doesn’t always lead to obesity in adulthood, but it does raise the risks dramatically. The majority of children who are overweight at any time during preschool or elementary school are still overweight as they enter their teens. Most kids do not outgrow the problem.

Healthy habits start at home. The best way to fight or prevent childhood obesity and weight problems is to get the whole family on a healthier track. Making better food choices and becoming more active will benefit everyone, regardless of weight.

You can also make a huge impact on your children’s health by getting involved with the details of their lives. Spending time with your kids—talking about their day, playing, reading, cooking—can supply them with the self-esteem boost they may need to make positive changes.

Leading by example

If your child sees you eating your vegetables, being active, and limiting your screen time, there’s a good chance that they will do the same.

What you eat. Tell your child about the healthy food you are eating, while you are eating it. You might say, “I’m eating broccoli with garlic sauce. Want a bite?”

When you cook. Cook healthily in front of your children . Better yet, give them an age-appropriate job in the kitchen. Tell them about what you’re making and ask them to stir, wash, or interact with the food in some way.

How you move. Exercise in some way every day. Be authentic—do things you enjoy. Tell your kids what you’re doing, and invite them to join you.

Your free time. Avoid the television or too much computer time. Kids are much less likely to turn screens on if they are off and you are doing something they can get involved in. You may also find that you are more present for your child when screens are off.

Strategies for Real Life

Recognize that you have more control than you might think. You can turn off the TV, computer, or video game. You can choose to get off the bus one stop earlier than usual and walk the rest of the way, especially when you are with your kids. You can give your family more vegetables for dinner.
Think about the immediate benefits. If reducing the risk of future heart disease seems abstract, focus on the good things that can happen right now. You won’t feel uncomfortably full if you have a smaller portion or skip dessert. Going hiking with your teenager might lead to a wonderful talk that neither of you anticipated. Dancing or playing with your kids is lots of fun and can give you a great workout.
Make small, easy changes over time. Suggesting that family members take a run together every day will probably get you lots of eye-rolling. It’s easier and more appealing to start out with some new approaches to nutrition and physical activity that the whole family is really willing to try. For example, take a walk after dinner a couple of nights a week instead of turning on the TV.

Source: We Can! Families Finding the Balance, U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services

While you may need to make major changes to your family’s eating habits, changing everything at once usually leads to cheating or giving up. Instead, start by making small, gradual steps towards healthy eating and weight loss —like adding a salad to dinner every night or swapping out French fries for steamed vegetables—rather than one big drastic switch. As small changes become habits, you can continue to add more healthy choices.

Eat the rainbow. Serve and encourage consumption of a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. This should include red (beets, tomatoes), orange (carrots, squash), yellow (potatoes, bananas), green (lettuce, broccoli) and so on—just like eating a rainbow.

Make breakfast a priority. Children who eat breakfast are less likely to be overweight or obese than those who skip the first meal of the day. It’s important to focus on healthy choices, though, like oatmeal, fresh fruit, whole grain cereal high in fiber and low in sugar, and low-fat milk instead of sugary cereals, donuts, or toaster pastries.

Look for hidden sugar. Reducing the amount of candy and desserts you and your child eat is only part of the battle. Sugar is also hidden in foods as diverse as bread, canned soups, pasta sauce, instant mashed potatoes, frozen dinners, low-fat meals, fast food, and ketchup. The body gets all it needs from sugar naturally occurring in food—so anything added amounts to nothing but a lot of empty calories. Check labels and opt for low sugar products and use fresh or frozen ingredients instead of canned goods when available.

Schedule regular meal times. The majority of children like routine. If your kids know they will only get food at certain times, they will be more likely to eat what they get when they get it. Limiting snacks in the one to two hours before a mealtime can also help ensure they’ll eat what is served.

Limit dining out. If you must eat out, try to avoid fast food.

Don’t go no fat, go good fat

Not all fats are created equal, and fat is an important part of brain development in young children. So instead of trying to cut out fat from your child’s diet, focus on replacing unhealthy fats with healthy fats .

Avoid trans fats that are dangerous to your child’s health. While trans fats have been effectively outlawed in the U.S. and some other countries, products containing trans fat may still be on store shelves. Check labels on commercially-baked goods, packaged snack foods, and fried foods, and avoid anything with “partially hydrogenated” oil in the ingredients, even if it claims to be trans fat-free.

Choose saturated fat wisely. The USDA recommends limiting saturated fat to 10 percent of your child’s daily calories. Focus on the source of saturated fats consumed: A glass of whole milk or natural cheese rather than a hot dog, donut, or pastry, for example, or grilled chicken or fish instead of fried chicken.

Add more healthy fats that can help a child’s brain development, control blood sugar and avoid diabetes. Unsaturated or “good” fats include avocados, olive oil, nuts, fatty fish, soy, tofu, or flaxseed.

Your home is where your child most likely eats the majority of meals and snacks, so it is vital that your kitchen is stocked with healthy choices.

Don’t ban sweets entirely. While many kids’ consume too much sugar, having a no sweets rule is an invitation for cravings and overindulging when given the chance. Instead, limit the cookies, candies, and baked goods your child eats and introduce fruit-based snacks and desserts instead.

[Read: Refined Carbs and Sugar: The Diet Saboteurs]

Limit juice, soda, sports and coffee drinks. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends limiting juice to less than 4oz daily for toddlers, and less than 8oz daily for older children. The added sugar and calories from these drinks are considered “empty” calories. Instead, offer your child sparkling water with a twist of lime, fresh mint, or a splash of fruit juice.

Keep snacks small. Don’t turn snacks into a meal. Limit them to 100 to 150 calories.

Go for reduced-sugar options. When buying foods such as syrups, jellies, and sauces, opt for products labeled “reduced sugar” or “no added sugar.”

Focus on fruit. Keep a bowl of fruit out for your children to snack on—kids love satsuma or tangerine oranges. And offer fruit as a sweet treat—frozen juice bars, fruit smoothies, strawberries and a dollop of whipped cream, fresh fruit added to plain yogurt, or sliced apples with peanut butter.

Experiment with herbs and spices. Use sweet-tasting herbs and spices such as mint, cinnamon, allspice, or nutmeg to add sweetness to food without the empty calories.

Check the sugar content of your kid’s cereal. There’s a huge disparity in the amount of added sugar between different brands of cereal. Some cereals are more than 50% sugar by weight. Try mixing a low sugar, high-fiber cereal with your child’s favorite sweetened cereal, or add fresh or dried fruit to oatmeal for a natural sweet taste.

Snacks at home

Snacks to stock up:	Snacks to cut back:
Fresh fruit and vegetables that can be taken on the go or packed in a lunch.	Soda, sweetened lemonade, fruit punch, and fruit juice with added sugar.
Milk and dairy products, including string cheese.	Hot dogs, fatty lunch meats, sausage, chicken nuggets.
Whole grain breads and cereals, pretzels, nuts, olives.	White bread, sugary breakfast cereals, chips.
Greek yogurt, frozen fruit juice bars, fig bars, ginger snaps.	Cookies, cakes, candy, ice cream, donuts.

There are strategies you can employ to retrain you and your family’s appetites and avoid oversized servings when eating out.

Learn what a regular portion size looks like. The portion sizes that you and your family are used to eating may be equal to two or three true servings. To keep calories in check, try to limit portions to the size of your fist.

Read food labels. Information about serving size and calories can be found on the backs of packaging. You may be surprised at how small the recommended portions are or how many calories are in the dish.

Use smaller dishes. Portions will look bigger and you’ll eat less when you use small bowls or plates.

Dish up in the kitchen. To minimize the temptation of second and third helpings, serve food on individual plates, instead of putting the serving dishes on the table.

Divide food from large packages into smaller containers. The larger the package of potato chips, for example, the more people tend to eat without realizing it.

Cut up high-calorie treats such as cheese, pizza, or chocolate into smaller pieces—and offer your child fewer pieces.

Downsize orders. When eating out, share an entrée with your child or order just an appetizer instead. Order half-orders or a medium size instead of a large.

Children who sit too much and move too little are at the highest risk for becoming overweight. Kids need an hour of exercise a day for optimum health. This may seem like a lot, but exercise doesn’t have to happen in a gym or all at once. Instead, try to incorporate movement into your family’s regular routine.

Exercise ideas for kids

It used to be commonplace to find children running around and playing in the streets of their neighborhoods, naturally expending energy and getting exercise. In today’s world, that’s not always an option, but you still have options for boosting their activity level.

Play active indoor games. Put the remote away and organize some active indoor games. You can play tag (perhaps crawling tag, so that you keep messes to a minimum), hide-and-seek, or Simon Says (think jumping jacks and stretches).

Try activity-based video games , such as those from Wii and Kinect, which are played standing up and moving around—simulating dancing, skateboarding, soccer, bowling, or tennis. Once your child gains confidence, get away from the screen and play the real thing outside.

Get active outside with your child. Take a walk together, bike around the neighborhood, explore a local park, visit a playground, or play in the yard. If it makes sense for your neighborhood and schedule, walk to and from activities and school.

Do chores together. Perhaps it’s not your child’s first choice, but doing household chores is a very effective way to get exercise. Mopping, sweeping, taking out trash, dusting or vacuuming burns a surprising number of calories.

Enroll children in after school sports or other activities. If your budget allows, sign your child up to play a sport or get involved in an activity where they are physically active. The local YMCA, YWCA, or Boys’ and Girls’ Club are safe places for children to exercise and play.

Sign up for a 5 or 10K walk/run with your child. Sometimes having a goal in mind can motivate even the most reluctant exercisers. Find a kid-friendly event in your area and tell your child you’ll be “training” for it together. Be sure to celebrate when you accomplish this feat.

The less time your children spend watching TV, playing video games, or using computers or mobile devices , the more time they’ll spend on active pastimes. Remember how important it is for you to be a positive role model—so you may have to cut down on your own viewing habits, too.

Limit daily screen time. Studies show a link between screen time and obesity, so set limits on your child’s TV-watching, gaming, and web surfing. Experts recommend no more than two hours per day.

[Read: Social Media and Mental Health]

Stop eating in front of the TV. Limit your child’s calorie intake by limiting time spent eating in front of the tube. Tell your child that, starting now, your family does all their eating at the table.

Pick a different reward or punishment. Instead of rewarding your child with more time in front of the television or computer, promise something different, such as an outing or an activity of their choice.

Encourage your child to develop new hobbies

Making major lifestyle changes has the potential to add more stress to a child’s life. At times, your overweight child might feel singled out, sad, angry, embarrassed, or discouraged. In the past, they might have dealt with stress by eating or zoning out in front of the TV. Since this is no longer an option, help them find a healthy alternative.

Ask your child what they might like to take up as a hobby. Hobbies can help kids boost their self-esteem, relieve stress, and provide a positive outlet. Some examples include art, music, cooking, or journaling.

Hearing negative comments about their appearance or eating habits can impact your child’s body image and leave them feeling anxious, self-conscious, or cause them to overly restrict their diet, potentially even contributing to the development of an eating disorder .

If you are concerned your child may be negatively impacted by their body image, there are ways to help your child manage fat shaming or other critical comments, and achieve body acceptance .

Helplines and support

National Eating Disorders Association or call 1-800-931-2237 (National Eating Disorders Association)

Beat Eating Disorders or call 0345 643 1414 (Helpfinder)

Butterfly Foundation for Eating Disorders or call 1800 33 4673 (National Eating Disorders Collaboration)

Service Provider Directory or call 1-866-633-4220 (NEDIC)

More Information

Move Your Way: Tips for Getting Active as a Family - Tips to get moving together. (Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion)
We Can! Families Finding the Balance: A Parent Handbook - Guide to tackling the problem of childhood obesity. (U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services)
Helping Your Child Who is Overweight - Parent’s guide to helping an obese or overweight child begin to eat better and be more active. (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
How to Talk to Kids about Weight and Obesity - Offering support to an overweight or obese child. (Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics)
Sugary Drinks and Obesity Fact Sheet - How sugary drinks are a major contributor to the current obesity epidemic. (Harvard School of Public Health)
Dietary Guidelines for Americans , 2020-2025. (n.d.). 164. Link
Final Determination Regarding Partially Hydrogenated Oils (Removing Trans Fat) | FDA . (n.d.). Retrieved May 16, 2022, from Link
Monzani, A., Ricotti, R., Caputo, M., Solito, A., Archero, F., Bellone, S., & Prodam, F. (2019). A Systematic Review of the Association of Skipping Breakfast with Weight and Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in Children and Adolescents. What Should We Better Investigate in the Future? Nutrients, 11(2), 387. Link
Obesity and overweight . (n.d.). Retrieved May 16, 2022, from Link
Robinson, T. N., Banda, J. A., Hale, L., Lu, A. S., Fleming-Milici, F., Calvert, S. L., & Wartella, E. (2017). Screen Media Exposure and Obesity in Children and Adolescents. Pediatrics, 140 (Supplement_2), S97–S101. Link
Sahoo, K., Sahoo, B., Choudhury, A., Sofi, N., Kumar, R., & Bhadoria, A. (2015). Childhood obesity: Causes and consequences. Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care , 4(2), 187. Link
Types of Fat | The Nutrition Source | Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health . (n.d.). Retrieved May 16, 2022, from Link
We Can! Families Finding the Balance: A Parent Handbook . (n.d.). 32. Link
Littleton, Sheridan H., Robert I. Berkowitz, and Struan F.A. Grant. “Genetic Determinants of Childhood Obesity.” Molecular Diagnosis & Therapy 24, no. 6 (December 2020): 653–63. Link
“Behavior, Environment, and Genetic Factors All Have a Role in Causing People to Be Overweight and Obese | CDC,” October 14, 2022. Link
Heyman, Melvin B., Steven A. Abrams, HEPATOLOGY SECTION ON GASTROENTEROLOGY AND NUTRITION, COMMITTEE ON NUTRITION, Leo A. Heitlinger, Michael deCastro Cabana, Mark A. Gilger, et al. “Fruit Juice in Infants, Children, and Adolescents: Current Recommendations.” Pediatrics 139, no. 6 (June 1, 2017): e20170967 Link

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Problems and Solutions of Child Obesity
Childhood Obesity Problem Solution
The Problem of Childhood Obesity
Childhood Obesity Solutions Free Essay Example
Childhood Obesity Essay
Childhood Obesity Problem Solution

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Problems and Solutions of Child Obesity Research Paper
Childhood obesity has several problems that it presents to the child. One of the problems that it poses to a child is that obesity increases the chances of a child getting pediatric hypertension. Secondly, childhood obesity can lead to a diabetic condition known as type II diabetes mellitus thus an obese child risks getting this health problem.
Childhood Obesity: Causes/Solutions
Addiction to highly pleasurable foods. According to Pretlow, addiction to highly pleasurable foods can be one of the biggest causes of obesity in children between the age of 5years to 19years (297). Most of these highly pleasurable foods are extraordinarily high in calories thus leading to extremely fast weight gain in children and young adults.
Child Obesity in the United States
This calls for urgent and long term actions to trim down and eventually eliminate child obesity. Works Cited. CDC. Overweight and Obesity. Center for Disease Control and Prevention. 2009. Web. Swartz MB & Puhl R. Childhood obesity: a societal problem to solve. Obesity Reviews 2003; 4(1):57-71. Thehealthcarecentre.
PDF Running head: Childhood Obesity 1
Childhood Obesity 3 Childhood Obesity: Turning a Risk Factor into a Solution Obesity is a critical health problem that is increasing worldwide, and in the United States in particular. In 2012, The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identified obesity as a leading cause of death of adults in the US, second only to heart disease, and
PDF CHILDHOOD OBESITY: CONFRONTING THE GROWING PROBLEM A Thesis Presented
15. On how many of the past 7 days did you exercise or take part in physical activity that made your heart beat fast and made you breathe hard for at least 20 minutes. (For example: basketball, soccer, running, or jogging, fast dancing, swimming laps, tennis, fast bicycling, or similar aerobic activities). 16.
Childhood Obesity: Causes and Solutions
Childhood obesity may lead to "adult" related chronic conditions such as cardiovascular diseases (increased cholesterol, high blood pressure and increase in insulin), type-2 diabetes or even cancers. A study conducted showed that over sixty percent of children under ten, who were overweight, had a greater potential of experiencing one or ...
Child Obesity Essay Outline: [Essay Example], 681 words
Obesity in childhood can have significant long-term effects on a child's physical health, increasing the risk of developing chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension. Furthermore, obesity can have a profound impact on a child's psychological well-being, leading to low self-esteem, depression, and social isolation.
The Impact of Childhood Obesity: Causes, Consequences, and Solutions
Introduction. Childhood obesity is a growing concern not only in the United States but also in developed countries around the world. With over 170 million cases of overweight children globally, the prevalence of increased body mass index (BMI) has serious health consequences, including cardiovascular diseases and type-2 diabetes (World Health Organization, n.d.).
Childhood Obesity: An Evidence-Based Approach to Family-Centered Advice
Currently, there are 13.7 (around 17% of US population) million children and adolescents with obesity. Children with obesity face a lifetime of physical and psychological complications, yet this condition is often ignored and under addressed at most office visits. 1,2 Many reasons have been proposed for this gap in care services, including lack of effectiveness of any currently available ...
IELTS Writing Task 2: problem and solution (obesity)
IELTS Writing Task 2: problem and solution (obesity) Hopefully yesterday's video gave you some good vocabulary ideas for the following question. Childhood obesity is becoming a serious problem in many countries. Explain the main causes and effects of this problem, and suggest some possible solutions. Here are some more ideas for this topic:
Childhood Obesity: Solutions that Fit the Problem
A healthy appetite for water-rich, fiber-rich produce plays a crucial role in curbing food cravings and reducing obesity in children. But these choices have become harder to find in many day-to-day environments, especially for those who need healthy options the most. More than 42 million people in the U.S. are food insecure.
Childhood Obesity
29 essay samples found. Childhood Obesity is a serious medical condition where excess body fat negatively affects a child's health or well-being. Essays might discuss the causes, consequences, prevention and management of childhood obesity, as well as the role of parents, schools, and healthcare providers in addressing this issue.
134 Childhood Obesity Essay Topics & Examples
134 Childhood Obesity Essay Topics & Examples. Updated: Mar 2nd, 2024. 15 min. If you're writing an academic paper or speech on kids' nutrition or weight loss, you will benefit greatly from our childhood obesity essay examples. Besides, our experts have prepared a list of original topics for your work.
Obese Children in America: What's the Solution? Essay
Childhood obesity is a growing problem in America. "the percentage of obese children doubling from 6.5% in 1980, to 17.0% in 2006. Weight, nutrition, and physical activity are the main components to a child's overall health."(1) "When parents become too busy to cook meals in their homes, children learn poor eating habits and develop into unhealthy eaters."(1) They will take what they ...
Combatting Child Obesity: [Essay Example], 802 words
Childhood obesity is associated with several negative health consequences, including diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure, as well as emotional and psychological impacts, such as low self-esteem and bullying. This essay will explore the causes of child obesity, its effects, and possible solutions to combat this issue.
Problem: Childhood Obesity in America
The graph above shows the correlation between obesity and type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes can lead to blindness, nerve damage, and kidney disease. Obesity can also lead to coronary heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure furthermore increasing the health ramifications of obesity. Now childhood obesity is defined by the center of disease ...
Essay: Childhood Obesity: Problem and Solutions Health Professionals
TOPIC: Essay on Childhood Obesity: Problem and Solutions Health Professionals Assignment Obesity in Mexican-American females increased from 13.4% to 17.4%. Although research into the causes of childhood obesity has not been as extensive as the research with overweight adults, significantly increased health related issues in obese children have ...
Solutions to Obesity: Problem and Solution Essay
Eating a healthy lifestyle is the main thing to help lose weight. It says that to lose weight it's 80% diet and 20% gym. Along with going to the gym and eating healthy, it is important to drink a lot of water. Water will flush the system of all toxins that could add to weight gain.
Childhood Obesity Problem Solution Essays
Statistics. Between the 1980s and the 2000s, childhood obesity has risen from under 5% to over 10%. Today, about one in every five children aged between six and nineteen years of age has obesity. Studies show that between 2011 and 2014, obesity among children and adolescents remained stable at an average of 17%.
Childhood Obesity Problem Solution
Childhood Obesity Problem Solution. As a means of solving the previously discussed problem of childhood obesity, the author of the research proposes to develop custom healthy menus for schools under a program called "Soul Food.". This solution will work better than others because the menu will be based on the preferences of the children's ...
ESSAY: Child Obesity (Causes, effects and solutions)
The effect of obesity in children is vital. Self-esteem and confidence of the yout are usually affected. Overweight children have experienced being bullied by other kids. Consequently, depression ...
The Childhood Obesity in Toledo, Ohio: Problem and Possible Solutions
Problem Solution Essay. Reviewed by. IvyPanda Team. Pages. 5. Words. 1396. Related Essays ... With this in mind, it is evident that the key to solving the problem of childhood obesity is an overhaul of the school nutrition program. To begin with, schools should endeavor to get rid of fast foods in schools. The very presence of fast foods ...
IELTS essay, topic: Children these days are suffering from obesity, why
Obesity is a major problem which is increasing day by day in children. There are various reasons behind it. This essay will discuss the causes of obesity and offer some solutions. The first cause of obesity is junk food. It is often seen that mostly children are fond of burgers, pizzas, noodles and . These types of foods are easily available to ...
A systems thinking framework for understanding rising childhood obesity
The aim of this study is to develop a systems thinking framework to describe the common complexities of childhood obesity in the Caribbean region and identify potential areas of intervention. Group model building (GMB) is a form of systems science. Trained GMB facilitators in Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, Barbados, and Trinidad and Tobago convened a group of multi-disciplinary ...
Childhood Obesity and Weight Problems
The picture is similar in many other developed countries. Those extra pounds put kids at risk for developing serious health problems, including diabetes, heart disease, and asthma. Childhood obesity also takes an emotional toll. Overweight children often have trouble keeping up with other kids and joining in sports and activities.

Childhood Obesity: Solutions that Fit the Problem

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Childhood Obesity Problem Solution

The Childhood Obesity in Toledo, Ohio: Problem and Possible Solutions Problem Solution Essay

Introduction

A systems thinking framework for understanding rising childhood obesity in the Caribbean

Conclusions

Introduction

The participatory group model building process

School, Household, and Community Determinants

Policy and commercial determinants

Experience of the child

Identifying interventions

Unique experiences of Caribbean islands and countries

Strengths and limitations

Availability of data and materials

Abbreviations

Acknowledgements

Author information

Contributions

Corresponding author

Ethics declarations

Consent for publication

Competing interests

Additional information

Supplementary Information

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Health Research Policy and Systems

Healthy Food for Kids

How to Start Exercising and Stick to It

Grandparents Raising Grandchildren

Understanding childhood weight problems

Be smart about snacks and sweet food

Is your child overweight?

Speak to a Licensed Therapist

Myths and Facts about Weight Problems and Obesity in Children

Leading by example

Strategies for Real Life

Don’t go no fat, go good fat

Snacks at home

Exercise ideas for kids

Encourage your child to develop new hobbies

Helplines and support

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More in Parenting

How to Lose Weight and Keep It Off

VIDEO: Creating Secure Infant Attachment

Professional therapy, done online

Help us help others

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