Generation O: Addressing Childhood Overweight before It's Too Late

• Author: Laura M. Segal,Emily A. Gadola
• Published date: 01 January 2008
• DOI: 10.1177/0002716207308177
• Date: 01 January 2008
• Subject Matter: Articles

ANNALS, AAPSS, 615, January 2008 195

Rates of overweight in children have more than tripled

in the United States since 1980, putting the nation’s

children at risk for unprecedented levels of major dis-

eases like diabetes and heart disease earlier in life. The

American childhood overweight epidemic is a startling

phenomenon. Because of the serious health conse-

quences, there is an urgent need to make practical

decisions to address the problem, based on common

sense, the best prevailing research, and the advice of

experts. This starts with addressing the contributing

factors behind the real culprits—poor nutrition and

inadequate physical activity. Over the past decade,

experts have emphasized the need to develop over-

weight prevention and control strategies focused on

instilling in children the importance of healthy behav-

iors that can help reduce their risk for obesity and

related health issues throughout their lives. This article

reviews policy recommendations and intervention

strategies for addressing childhood overweight.

Keywords: childhood overweight policies; childhood

overweight interventions

The American obesity epidemic is a startling

phenomenon. Rates of overweight in chil-

dren have more than tripled in the United States

since 1980, putting the nation’s children at risk

for unprecedented levels of major diseases like

diabetes and heart disease earlier in life

(National Health and Nutrition Examination

Survey [NHANES] 2005-2006). According to

the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention (CDC), being overweight or obese

increases an individual’s risk for a range of seri-

ous diseases, including type 2 diabetes, heart

disease and stroke, and some forms of cancers

(National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive

and Kidney Diseases [NDKKD] 2005).

Studies have documented that obesity and

overweight in childhood and adolescence are

often a path toward increased risk for and fur-

ther development of a range of obesity-related

Generation O:

Addressing

Childhood

Overweight

before It’s Too

Late

By

LAURA M. SEGAL

and

EMILY A. GADOLA

NOTE: Research for this article is based on a grant

from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

DOI: 10.1177/0002716207308177

196 THE ANNALS OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY

diseases as children enter adulthood, leading to a lifetime of health problems. In

addition, weight-related health problems, including type 2 diabetes, increased

cholesterol levels, hypertension, and the danger of eating disorders are increas-

ingly found in children (Dietz 1998). Being overweight as a child may lead to

orthopedic ailments and premature onset of menstruation (Dietz 1998). Some

studies show that obesity and overweight also negatively impact children’s men-

tal health and school performance (Datar and Sturm 2006). Overweight children

have been found to engage in other unhealthy behaviors and tend to exhibit lone-

liness and nervousness (Hardy, Harrell, and Bell 2004).

Because of the serious health consequences related to overweight and obesity,

there is an urgent need to make practical decisions to address the problem, based

on common sense, the best prevailing research, and the advice of experts. This

starts with addressing the contributing factors behind the real culprits—poor

nutrition and inadequate physical activity.

A wide range of factors have contributed to the rise in both childhood and

adult overweight and obesity. Most overweight and obesity management efforts

have focused on encouraging individuals to “eat less and move more.” However,

people do not make decisions in a vacuum. There are numerous factors that

influence how and what people eat and how much and what types of physical

activity they get. Policies involving a range of issues—from the availability of side-

walks to the nutritional value of school lunches—impact the ability of individuals

and communities to make healthier choices (see Leviton 2008 [this volume]).

Individuals live in a world influenced by their relationships with family,

friends, neighbors, and colleagues; their home, workplace, and school environ-

ments; their neighborhoods; their economic limitations; and their genetics, phys-

iology, psychology, and life stages. Efforts to combat the obesity crisis will not be

successful until these social, economic, and physical influences are acknowledged

and incorporated into future interventions. The fight against obesity and physical

inactivity must also include well-funded, long-term approaches; a revitalized

research agenda that emphasizes longitudinal studies; and a fresh look at what

constitutes “success” and how it is measured.

Laura M. Segal oversees public affairs, communications, and policy research for Trust for

America’s Health (TFAH).Prior to joining TFAH, she directed corporate communications for

Sigma Networks and Charitableway and worked for the Clinton/Gore campaigns and admin-

istration from 1992 to 2000 in a variety of capacities, including the 1992 and 1996 campaigns,

in the White House, and in the Presidential Transition and Inaugural Offices. She graduated

magna cum laude with distinction in communication from the University of Pennsylvania and

received an M.A. from the Annenberg School for Communication.

Emily A. Gadola, as a public affairs research associate at Trust for America’s Health,

researches, analyzes, and writes about crucial public health policies. Prior to joining TFAH, she

worked at the American Lung Association of Metropolitan Chicago (ALAMC) on the Smoke-

Free Chicago campaign. She holds an M.P.P. from the Irving B. Harris School of Public Policy

Studies at the University of Chicago and a B.S. in business economics and public policy from

Indiana University.