How to Tackle Obesity in the Early Childhood Years

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Nearly 1 in 3 Latino kids is already overweight or obese by ages 2-5, an alarming trend that often continues into youth and adulthood.

How can we prevent early childhood obesity?

It will take public-private partnerships, more effective interventions, and more, according to a new report on a recent meeting of the Roundtable on Obesity Solutions of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

The Roundtable, which engages leaders from multiple sectors to address obesity, includes Dr. Amelie Ramirez, director of SaludToday, Salud America!, and the Institute for Health Promotion Research at the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio.

The Roundtable’s new report covers lots of early childhood obesity questions.

What’s working to prevent early obesity?

• Obesity interventions that begin in pregnancy and continue over time.
• Opportunities exist in the clinical setting for early-life obesity prevention.
• Efforts at the levels of public policy, the community, the organization, individual, and the child can promote healthy eating and physical activity in early care and education facilities.
• Family-focused healthy lifestyle interventions improve parenting skills and significantly affect childhood obesity.

What’s still ongoing?

• The USDA is working with partners to address food security and nutrition.
• Interventions in New York City have reduced obesity in low-income preschoolers.
• Health systems can integrate partners into health and wellness efforts.

“Building trust, forging partnerships, and continually reassessing and resetting system goals can advance cross-sectoral work on obesity prevention,” according to the report.

Read more here.