Programs aimed at progenitors to prevent childhood obesity and overweight are insufficient to address a health problem that affects about 37 million children children around the world, as a study published in The Lancet revealed on Wednesday.
This is stated by a meta-analysis of 31 clinical trials from 10 countries among a population of almost 29,000 individuals, who found no evidence that certain preventive strategies applied up to 12 months of age have an impact on the Body Mass Index (BMI) when they turn approximately two years.
The authors of this research, led by the University of Sydney (Australia), underline the need to rethink current behavioral approaches and highlight the need to carry out a broader, coordinated and resources with resources.
Child obesity and overweight, remember, have significant repercussions on long -term health, so early prevention is key to preventing them from manifesting in the early stages of the child’s development.
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In this regard, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends parents and caregivers preventive measures from the same pregnancy, and offers orientations on healthy eating, sleep or physical activity in early childhood.
Consequently, many governments, say the authors, focus their preventive efforts on designing programs for parents and caregivers, who acquire skills and knowledge through, for example, “community classes, home visits or exchange of information by text messages, email or applications.”
“Obesity is due, to a large extent, to environmental and socio -economic factors that people cannot modify. The parents play a fundamental role, but our study highlights that it cannot be expected to reduce the levels of childhood obesity by themselves,” says the main author, Kylie Hunter, of the University of Sydney.
He maintains that it is necessary to undertake “a broader and coordinated action throughout society” to facilitate decision making regarding “healthy options, regardless of where they live”, in reference to difficulties in poorest countries.
“In addition to supporting parents, we need coordinated policies that improve the affordability of healthy foods, increase access to green spaces and regulate the publicity of unhealthy foods to combat childhood obesity,” says Hunter.
The ineffectiveness of the programs aimed at parents could be related, among other reasons, due to the fact that the first year of a child’s life can be “overwhelming and stressful” and limits their capacity “to fully participate in behavioral changes,” says co -author Anna Lene Seidler, of the Rostock University (Germany).
Likewise, the families most affected by childhood obesity, which often belong to the lowest socio -economic classes, are also those that are less likely to access early care programs.
“They simply lack the resources or time to attend and adhere to these programs, especially in the current crisis of the cost of life. Changes at the level of policies aimed at creating healthier environments for all children are more likely to reach these families,” says Seidler.
He adds that in broader social environments, such as nurseries and schools, “the strategies aimed at creating healthy habits for children directly in these contexts can be more effective.”
With EFE Information
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