WORKSHOP ON
EDUCATION FOR CHILDHOOD OBESITY
PREVENTION: A LIFE-COURSE APPROACH
PACO II Workshop- Held on June 14, 2012 in
Aruba
EDUCATION FOR CHILDHOOD OBESITY PREVENTION: A LIFE-COURSE
APPROACH
1.
The UN HLM Declaration on NCDs, the Declaration of Mexico on NCDs and
Obesity, and the Declaration of CARICOM are among the important policy
declarations concerning childhood obesity.
2.
As per PACO I, the emphasis should be changing obesogenic environments
through national, state and municipal level initiatives
National policies including inputs from the civil society organizations and the
private sector are important to influence the social, economic and
environmental determinants of obesity and other inequities in health. All
citizens need to have easy choices available regarding healthy eating and
active living in cities and settings where people live, work, learn and enjoy.
Vertical and horizontal multi-sectorial, multi-level coordination is needed for
countries to implement effective approaches for the prevention of childhood
obesity based on the lifecourse framework. There is a special need for closer
collaboration between the Ministries of Education and the Ministries of
Health, and other relevant Ministries e.g. Agriculture, Trade, Sports & Culture,
to support attainment of health and education system goals.
3.
4.
EDUCATION FOR CHILDHOOD OBESITY PREVENTION: A LIFE-COURSE
APPROACH
5.
National childhood obesity prevention programs should include actions to: prevent or treat
preconceptual overweight/obesity; foster appropriate weight gain during pregnancy;
support women in avoiding retaining excessive weight postpartum; and promote optimal
infant feeding practices, including breast feeding, complementary feeding, and the
avoidance of sugar sweetened beverages and “junk foods.”
6.
Early childhood (ages 0-4)- and school-based nutrition education and food/feeding
programs as well as daily physical activity, are key to promoting child healthy weight.
7.
Before and after school programs, and summer feeding programs, should be developed
and/or strengthened (on or off school campuses) to ensure child healthy weight. This may
result in reduction of screen time and increased consumption of nutritious foods after
school time.
8.
Key community institutions outside the formal education system, including early childhood
centers, churches, pediatric/family medicine clinics, etc. should lead programming to
support family nutrition education, healthy food access, and daily physical activity – all of
which are key to child “healthy weight” initiatives.
EDUCATION FOR CHILDHOOD OBESITY PREVENTION: A LIFE-COURSE
APPROACH
9.
Innovative, evidence-based, and attractive social marketing education
efforts, focusing on key messages to change eating and physical activity
behaviors,* targeting family units, socializing and community-based
institutions, as well as society at large, are needed to support the efficacy
of the lifecourse framework at all societal levels.
10. *reduce consumption of added sugars/refined grain consumption, reduce
sodium, reduce saturated and fats; increase consumption of whole grains,
vegetables, fruits, and fish; increase daily physical activity.
11. Public policies and multi-sectoral action are needed to protect children
and families against marketing of foods and non-alcoholic beverages
containing high amounts of fat, sugar, and salt, and low in essential
nutrients.
12. Monitoring and evaluation systems should be in place to properly assess
process and impacts of lifecourse national strategies, including conditional
cash transfer program, and targets for childhood obesity prevention
should be included in national and regional plans.
EDUCATION FOR CHILDHOOD OBESITY PREVENTION: A LIFE-COURSE
APPROACH
13. An early career leadership scholars program/network in Latin America and the
Caribbean, that focuses on evidence-based approaches to childhood obesity
prevention based on the lifecourse framework, should be
institutionalized/created.
14.International agencies and those in the Inter-American system, especially those
working in the maternal-child health and education sector should include
consideration of childhood obesity prevention as a priority in their policies and
programs.