Public health interventions for the prevention and treatment of obesity.
Epidemic obesity is one of the few undesirable consequences of humanity's mastery of the environment. This article reviews public health approaches to preventing and treating obesity. The most encouraging efforts to date have been interventions targeting children in both medical and community surroundings. Treating and preventing obesity in adults has been less successful. It is suggested that taking an environmental health perspective on the obesity problem may facilitate the advancement of scientific understanding of this important health issue.
Schmitz
M K
MK
Division of Epidemiology, University of Minnesota, School of Public Health, Minneapolis, USA.
Jeffery
R W
RW
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015984:Causality; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D011634:Public Health