Peer-reviewed article
Childhood and Adolescent Obesity Prevention: From Evidence to Implementation in Complex Systems.
De Miguel-Etayo P, Miguel-Berges ML, Moreno LA ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This review examines evidence on childhood and adolescent obesity prevention strategies worldwide. It finds that interventions can improve diet and physical activity, though their effects on weight are modest. Multi-level approaches involving families, schools, and communities show more promise. The main challenge is translating research findings into effective, scalable real-world programs that account for local contexts and have sustained support from policymakers and stakeholders.
Key points
- Preventive strategies can improve dietary habits and physical activity, although effects on weight outcomes are generally modest
- Interventions addressing multiple determinants and involving families, schools, and communities are more likely to achieve meaningful and sustained effects
- Childhood obesity is driven by complex interactions between biological factors, lifestyle behaviours, social determinants, and environmental factors
- Translating evidence from controlled studies into effective, scalable real-world strategies remains a major challenge
- Systems-oriented and participatory approaches offer promising opportunities to design coordinated, multilevel strategies
Limitations
This is a narrative review that synthesises existing evidence rather than a primary study, so it cannot provide new empirical data. The document does not identify which specific countries or regions have been studied, limiting understanding of geographical applicability.
Abstract
Childhood and adolescent obesity has emerged as one of the most pressing public health challenges worldwide. The persistence of excess weight from early life into adulthood together with its associated health consequences underscores the importance of effective prevention strategies. However, obesity in early life is driven by complex interactions between biological susceptibility, lifestyle behaviours, social determinants, and obesogenic environments, making prevention particularly challenging.This review synthesises current evidence on childhood obesity prevention, critically examines the effectiveness of existing interventions, and discusses key challenges and opportunities for improving their impact. Evidence indicates that preventive strategies can improve dietary habits, physical activity, and other lifestyle behaviours, although their effects on anthropometric outcomes are generally modest. Interventions addressing multiple determinants and involving key settings such as families, schools, and communities appear more likely to achieve meaningful and sustained effects.Translating evidence from controlled studies into effective, scalable real-world strategies remains a major challenge. Contextual factors, sustainability, stakeholder engagement, and policy support play a critical role in determining intervention success. In this context, systems-oriented and participatory approaches offer promising opportunities to design coordinated, multilevel strategies. Future efforts should focus on early-life prevention, equity-oriented actions, and the integration of scientific evidence into public policies to achieve sustainable population-level impact.