Attitudes to childhood overweight and obesity: The limits of cultural explanations

2011 ◽  
Vol 71 (6) ◽  
pp. 670-677 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suparna Chakrabarti ◽  
Stephen Abbott

Objectives: To explore attitudes to and beliefs about childhood overweight and obesity among Bangladeshi mothers and to check maternal perceptions of their children’s weight status. Design: Mixed methods cross-sectional study. Setting: A general practice in East London, UK. Methods: Qualitative interviews with 14 mothers; weighing and measuring 22 children. Results: Mothers were generally aware of broad health promotion messages about diet and exercise, but many tended to under-estimate their children’s weight status. Differences in view did not reflect in any simple way English language skills, and the range of views reflected those in the majority population. Conclusion: Health promotion initiatives should assess individual needs; membership of a Bangladeshi community does not necessarily predict knowledge, beliefs or behaviour, and assumptions that this community is different from others are misleading.

2020 ◽  
Vol 69 (4) ◽  
pp. 233-241
Author(s):  
Luis Miguel Cano Martín ◽  
Jaime González González ◽  
Alicia Mohedano Moriano ◽  
Antonio Viñuela ◽  
Juan José Criado-Álvarez

La obesidad infantil ha incrementado su prevalencia en España, y aunque se considera un problema multifactorial, es atribuible principalmente al aumento de la ingesta y la disminución de la actividad física por un ocio sedentario mayor. El objetivo de este estudio fue conocer la prevalencia de sobrepeso y obesidad infantil en la Zona Básica de Salud (ZBS) de Menasalbas (Toledo, España), y la influencia de los hábitos alimentarios, de actividad física y deporte, y de ocio sedentario. Se realizó un estudio transversal en la población escolarizada de 3 a 12 años de la ZBS de Menasalbas, tomando medidas de peso y talla a 725 menores, calculando su IMC y clasificando su estado ponderal según las tablas de Cole. También se recogieron datos referentes a sus hábitos alimentarios y cuestionario Kidmed de adherencia a la dieta mediterránea, y hábitos de actividad física y ocio sedentario, para estudiar su relación con el estado ponderal de los menores. La prevalencia de sobrecarga ponderal (suma de prevalencias de sobrepeso y obesidad) fue del 24,9%, con un 18,8% de sobrepeso y un 6,1% de obesidad, sin diferencias por edad y sexo. No se observaron diferencias respecto a los hábitos alimentarios, pero si una menor actividad física y un mayor ocio sedentario en aquellos con sobrecarga ponderal. La prevalencia de sobrepeso y obesidad en nuestra población es elevada, aunque menor a las de otros trabajos. La alimentación, la actividad física y el ocio sedentario influenciaron el sobrepeso y la obesidad infantil en este estudio. Childhood obesity has increased its prevalence in Spain, and although it´s considered a multifactorial problem, it is mainly attributable to increased intake and decreased physical activity due to increased sedentary leisure. The objective of this study was to know the prevalence of overweight and childhood obesity in the Basic Health Zone (ZBS) of Menasalbas (Toledo, Spain), and the influence of eating habits, physical activity and sport, and sedentary entertainment. A cross-sectional study was conducted in the school children of 3 to 12 years of age in the ZBS of Menasalbas, taking weight and height measurements for 725 minors, calculating their BMI and classifying their weight status according to Cole´s tables. Data regarding their eating habits and Kidmed questionnaire of adherence to the mediterranean diet, physical activity habits and sedentary leisure habits were also collected, to study its relationship with the weigh status of minors. The prevalence of weight overload (understood as the sum of the prevalence of overweight and obesity) was 24.9% , with 18.8% overweight and 6.1% of obesity, with no differences by age and sex. No differences were observed regarding eating habits, but less physical activity and a more sedentary leisure in those with weight overload was observed. The prevalence of overweight and obesity in our population is high, although lower than reported in other works. Diet, physical activity and sedentary leisure are confirmed as fundamental aspects in childhood overweight and obesity.


2012 ◽  
Vol 16 (11) ◽  
pp. 2005-2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eva Craig ◽  
John Reilly ◽  
Ruth Bland

AbstractObjectiveA variety of methods are available for defining undernutrition (thinness/underweight/under-fat) and overnutrition (overweight/obesity/over-fat). The extent to which these definitions agree is unclear. The present cross-sectional study aimed to assess agreement between widely used methods of assessing nutritional status in children and adolescents, and to examine the benefit of body composition estimates.DesignThe main objective of the cross-sectional study was to assess underweight, overweight and obesity using four methods: (i) BMI-for-age using WHO (2007) reference data; (ii) BMI-for-age using Cole et al. and International Obesity Taskforce cut-offs; (iii) weight-for-age using the National Centre for Health Statistics/WHO growth reference 1977; and (iv) body fat percentage estimated by bio-impedance (body fat reference curves for children of McCarthy et al., 2006). Comparisons were made between methods using weighted kappa analyses.SettingRural South Africa.SubjectsIndividuals (n 1519) in three age groups (school grade 1, mean age 7 years; grade 5, mean age 11 years; grade 9, mean age 15 years).ResultsIn boys, prevalence of unhealthy weight status (both under- and overnutrition) was much higher at all ages with body fatness measures than with simple anthropometric proxies for body fatness; agreement between fatness and weight-based measures was fair or slight using Landis and Koch categories. In girls, prevalence of unhealthy weight status was also higher with body fatness than with proxies, although agreement between measures ranged from fair to substantial.ConclusionsMethods for defining under- and overnutrition should not be considered equivalent. Weight-based measures provide highly conservative estimates of unhealthy weight status, possibly more conservative in boys. Simple body composition measures may be more informative than anthropometry for nutritional surveillance of children and adolescents.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yanning Ma ◽  
Weiyan Gong ◽  
Caicui Ding ◽  
Chao Song ◽  
Fan Yuan ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: In parallel with the increased prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity, the rate of eating out in China has increased dramatically in recent years. The purpose of the study was to explore the association between frequency of eating out with overweight and obesity among Chinese children.Methods: The representative sample of Chinese children aged 6-17 years (7685 boys; 7576 girls) was recruited from Chinese National Nutrition and Health Survey (CNNHS) in 2010-2012. Frequency of eating out was collected by interview-administered questionnaire and categorized as: less than once per week, once and twice per week, and three times or more per week. Height and weight were measured (body mass index was consequently calculated). Results:The prevalence of eating out among Chinese children aged 6-17 years old was 23.2%. Children who ate out 0, 1-2, ≥3 times per week were accounted for 76.8%, 10.9% and 12.3% respectively. Findings revealed that eating out three times per week or more was statistically significant associated with higher prevalence of overweight and obesity among boys (OR=1.20,95CI:1.04-1.38) compared with those ate out less than three times per week. However, no significantly association was observed among girls (OR=0.91, 95CI:0.78-1.01). In additional, Younger children, rural children, children from high income family, those with leisure exercises, leisure SB(>2h/d) were relatively more likely to eat out.Conclusions: The results illustrated that eating out three times or more had a significantly positive effect on overweight and obesity among boys in China.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yanning ma ◽  
Weiyan Gong ◽  
Caicui Ding ◽  
Chao Song ◽  
Fan Yuan ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: In parallel with the increased prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity, the rate of eating out in China has increased dramatically in recent years. The purpose of the study was to explore the association between frequency of eating out with overweight and obesity among Chinese children.Methods: The representative sample of Chinese children aged 6-17 years (7685 boys; 7576 girls) was recruited from Chinese National Nutrition and Health Survey (CNNHS) in 2010-2012. Frequency of eating out was collected by interview-administered questionnaire and categorized as: less than once per week, once and twice per week, and three times or more per week. Height and weight were measured (body mass index was consequently calculated). Results:The prevalence of eating out among Chinese children aged 6-17 years old was 23.2%. Children who ate out 0, 1-2, ≥3 times per week were accounted for 76.8%, 10.9% and 12.3% respectively. Findings revealed that eating out three times per week or more was statistically significant associated with higher prevalence of overweight and obesity among boys (OR=1.20,95CI:1.04-1.38) compared with those ate out less than three times per week. However, no significantly association was observed among girls (OR=0.91, 95CI:0.78-1.01). In additional, Younger children, rural children, children from low income family, those with leisure exercises (certain physical activities regularly carried out such as swimming, walking, running, equipment fitness), leisure time sedentary behaviors (LTSB)(>2h/d) were relatively more likely to eat out. Conclusions: The results illustrated that eating out three times or more had a significantly positive effect on overweight and obesity among boys in China.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Predrag Bozic ◽  
Visnja Djordjic ◽  
Lidija Markovic ◽  
Dragan Cvejic ◽  
Nebojsa Trajkovic ◽  
...  

The purpose of the present cross-sectional study was to examine dietary patterns and the prevalence of underweight, overweight, and obesity among Serbian children. Furthermore, the study analyzed the association between dietary patterns and weight status. A nationally representative sample of 6–9-year-old children (n = 3,067) was evaluated as part of the Fifth Round World Health Organization European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative. The children's height and weight were measured by trained field examiners, while their parents or guardians filled paper versions of the food frequency questionnaire to collect information related to the child's breakfast habits and food and beverage intake. According to the International Obesity Task Force cut-off points, the overall prevalence of overweight (including obesity) and underweight were 28.9 and 8.1%, respectively. The majority of parents reported that their children (84.5%) had breakfast every day, while only 39.5 and 37% of children had daily fruit and vegetable consumption, respectively. The children who do not eat breakfast every day are more likely to be obese (OR = 1.50), while a higher intake frequency of nutrient-poor beverages such as soft drinks increases the risk of being not only overweight (OR = 1.32) but also underweight (OR = 1.39). Regular monitoring and understanding of dietary patterns and weight status is crucial to inform, design, and implement strategies to reduce national and global diet and obesity-related diseases. Urgent actions need to be taken from public policymakers to stop and reverse the increasing trend of overweight (including obesity) among Serbian children.


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