Childhood Obesity, an "Exploding Nightmare"
I wanted to share an article with all of you, published recently by The Guardian.
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/jan/25/chi...
The article begins with an astounding obesity statistic, reporting that, according to the World Health Organization(WHO) the number of overweight or obese children under five has risen to 41 million, from 31 million in 1990.
This, as the title of the article suggests, is an "exploding nightmare." Notably, policy makers and advocates for children's health do not place the blame on the children, but on the environment in which the children grow up in; environments which encourage weight gain and obesity. An expert panel organized by the WHO suggested, among other things, restricted marketing of unhealthy food and drink.
From a behavioral point of view, changing the consumption environment in which these children are raised in could help to curb this nightmare. It is important that we understand how children will react to the food presented to them and use this information to provide better options.
What do you think about this issue? Leave your suggestions and comments below!
If you're interested in learning more, here is the Report on the Commission of Ending Childhood Obesity, published by the WHO:
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