Cooking and Its Impact on Childhood Obesity: A Systematic Review

This systematic review aimed to study the effect of a cooking intervention on obesity among children and adolescents aged < 18 years.

Articles that studied the effect of cooking intervention with at least 4 sessions among children and adolescents on obesity (from January, 2000 to December, 2021) were included for analysis. Of the 500 articles identified through PubMed and ScienceDirect database, 9 studies qualified to be included in this review.

One-third of the studies found a positive effect of a cooking intervention on obesity among children and adolescents. School-based studies conducted among elementary school students were promising. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention body mass index percentile was the most common tool used to identify children and adolescents with overweight and obesity. The majority of the studies had a strong methodology.

All studies showed improvement in diet-related factors. Active participation of parents is crucial in making childhood interventions successful. It is difficult to delineate the effect of cooking alone on obesity as almost all studies had multicomponent interventions.

These diverse results highlight the need for longitudinal studies in natural settings to comprehend the effect of long-term cooking on obesity in children and adolescents.