Sociocultural, Behaviour and Economic Factors in Obesity Prevention - a Report from the Pre-ICO Meeting Organised Jointly by the Public Health and Prevention Task Force and Karolinska Institute on July 10, 2010 in Stockholm, Sweden

• Overweight and obesity are influenced by complex systems at both the macro and micro levels. This complexity demands a re-thinking of the current approaches to obesity prevention. i) It is imperative that a systems-based approach is used in dealing with obesity. While considering the system as a whole, however, it remains important to recognise that meaningful and rigorous evaluation is an essential component in any intervention. This requires innovations in research methodology but also recognition and utilisation of the value of existing tools and initiatives. We can learn from successes, but there is also much to learn from failure. ii) Links and partnerships between research, the public sector, politics and industry need to be strengthened and extended in order to provide a broad base for action. We need to look further than public health and perhaps join our efforts with other social movements, including the environmental movement. iii) While it is important to strive for environmental change it remains important for interventions to continue to target the individual and their family and the response of the individual to the obesogenic environment. iv) There is a need for greater investment into obesity prevention. While this is true for all areas, understanding the role of socio-economic and, socio-cultural factors needs to be prioritised in order to develop obesity prevention programmes to meet the specific needs of communities.

Ämnesord

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Hälsovetenskap -- Folkhälsovetenskap, global hälsa, socialmedicin och epidemiologi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Health Sciences -- Public Health, Global Health, Social Medicine and Epidemiology (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Endocrinology & Metabolism; Nutrition & Dietetics

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