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Learning from state surveillance of childhood obesity

Matt Longjohn1, Amy R Sheon, Paula Card-Higginson

  • 1Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA.

Health Affairs (Project Hope)
|March 3, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Childhood obesity surveillance using body mass index (BMI) is crucial for tracking trends and informing interventions. High-quality state-level data, like that from Arkansas, is essential for effective public health strategies.

Area of Science:

  • Public Health
  • Pediatrics
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has highlighted a national epidemic of childhood obesity.
  • Further data collection is necessary to fully understand and address this public health crisis.
  • Body Mass Index (BMI) is the standard metric for assessing childhood weight status.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To emphasize the importance of state and local Body Mass Index (BMI) surveillance for childhood obesity.
  • To identify trends, inform interventions for overweight children, and guide policy development.
  • To explore innovative strategies for broader dissemination of effective surveillance methods.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing data collection practices for childhood obesity.
  • Analysis of the role of state and local BMI surveillance laws and regulations.
  • Identification of states with high-quality surveillance data and innovative approaches.

Main Results:

  • Approximately thirty states have implemented or proposed BMI surveillance laws.
  • Arkansas possesses the highest quality of childhood weight status surveillance data.
  • Several states are developing innovative strategies for obesity tracking and intervention.

Conclusions:

  • State and local BMI surveillance is instrumental in combating the childhood obesity epidemic.
  • Arkansas serves as a model for high-quality childhood obesity data collection.
  • Dissemination of innovative state-level strategies can enhance national efforts to address childhood obesity.

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