Public health interventions for the prevention and treatment of obesity

Epidemic obesity is one of the few undesirable consequences of humanity's mastery of the environment. This article reviews public health approaches to preventing and treating obesity. The most encouraging efforts to date have been interventions targeting children in both medical and community surroundings. Treating and preventing obesity in adults has been less successful. It is suggested that taking an environmental health perspective on the obesity problem may facilitate the advancement of scientific understanding of this important health issue.