Obesity among young people is one of the biggest global problems of the 21st century. Many interventions aim to reduce and prevent (severe) overweight in this group. They often focus on the individual and place emphasis on individual eating and exercise behaviour.
Four studies
In four studies, Kobes evaluates the impact of interventions and environmental factors on childhood obesity and their relationship with it.
- In the first study, she provides a summary of the effectiveness of obesity-related lifestyle interventions.
- The second study examines the relationship between the diet and weight of very young children, on the one hand, and mothers’ social networks, on the other.
- The third study evaluates the largest overweight prevention programme in the Netherlands, Jongeren Op Gezond Gewicht (JOGG).
- In the fourth study, Kobes investigates whether there is a link between the number of overweight-related laws in US states and the number of young people who are overweight.
Together, these studies provide an analysis of the relevant interventions and factors related to preventing and reducing obesity among children and young people.
Small effect of interventions
The main findings of the research are that interventions generally have a small effect. Moreover, it is questionable whether that effect actually makes a difference: a child who is 10 kg overweight may lose 2 kg through an intervention, but will still be overweight. This dissertation also demonstrates the importance of a wide range of factors at different levels: whether or not you become overweight depends on the family in which you grow up (including the parents’ level of education), but also on the neighbourhood in which your home is located (the distance to fast-food restaurants) or even the country in which you live.
Click here for the dissertation.