Can Policy Abrogate Obesity Trends?

Requiring use of seatbelts, prohibition of smoking in public places and advocating helmet use in children are examples of policies which substantially improved measures of public health e.g. auto accidents, cancer rates, and head injuries. Numerous policies have been implemented to reverse trends in obesity among children and adolescents but the overwhelming majority of policies have shown little to no effect. In fact, trends in soft drink consumption have shown an increase among adolescents over the past decade. What interventions work to reduce obesity among children and adolescents and what are the theories behind these interventions? Dr. Dan Taber from the Univeristy of Illinois visited the Loyola Department of Preventive Medicine this week and discussed these issues with the Loyola online MPH Program faculty. During his talk he discussed policy changes implemented during years 2000-2006 and their estimated effects on soft drink consumption and adiposity among adolescents in 2007. Staes which implemented policy changes such as banning the sale of processed foods and the sale of soft drinks in vending machines in schools or similar policies did show an effect on both soda consumption and adiposity in 2007 albeit effects were small. Policy effects on soda consumption were actually strongest in African-American boys. His research was not able to track individual changes but rather looked at the population distribution within the year 2007. Soft drink consumption is a policy target area for addressing the obesity epidemic. Suggested policies have included the banning of soft drinks in schools, taxing soda and warning labels. However, there are few data which demonstrate that such policies would have a substantial public health effect, especially among adolescents. What is known is that one particular method to abrogate obesity will not suffice. The problem is so complex that multiple policies, interventions and societal attitudes all need to interact effectively to impact the most important public health problem the U.S. is facing.