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Updated: Jul 8, 2026

Breakfast Habits among Schoolchildren in the City of Uruguaiana, Brazil

Breakfast Habits among Schoolchildren in the City of Uruguaiana, Brazil

Published on: July 29, 2020

Preventing childhood obesity: can we do it?

Elvira Isganaitis¹, Lynne L Levitsky

¹Pediatric Endocrine Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital for Children, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA.

Current Opinion in Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Obesity

|January 11, 2008

Summary

Childhood obesity is a significant public health issue driven by increased food availability and decreased activity. Current prevention strategies are insufficient, requiring intensified public education and policy changes to combat this epidemic.

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Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study

Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study

Published on: February 2, 2017

Area of Science:

Public Health
Epidemiology
Biomedical Science

Background:

Childhood obesity presents a major public health challenge with long-term adult morbidity implications.
It is a biological consequence of increased food consumption and reduced physical activity.
Existing preventive measures have shown limited success.

Purpose of the Study:

Critically review recent literature on childhood obesity prevention.
Contextualize findings within biological, epidemiological, public health, and policy frameworks.
Guide practitioners in developing effective research, policy, and action plans.

Main Methods:

Literature review of recent publications on childhood obesity prevention.
Analysis of risk factors including socioeconomic status, maternal obesity, infant weight gain, and physical activity.
Evaluation of environmental and legislative interventions.

Main Results:

Key risk factors identified: low socioeconomic status, maternal obesity, rapid infant weight gain, and reduced physical activity.
Documented shifts in food availability and activity levels over the past 30 years.
Obesity prevention programs show modest success, particularly those altering school and community environments.
Legislative efforts have not influenced agricultural policy or the food/marketing industries.

Conclusions:

Childhood obesity is a critical public health problem with significant adult health consequences.
Current prevention efforts are limited in scale and impact.
Stronger public policy interventions are needed to address the obesity epidemic.
Recommendations include enhanced public education and national behavioral changes.