Uncovering the Root Causes of Childhood Obesity in Iran: A Comprehensive Study Reveals Key Determinants

News Summary: A recent study conducted in Iran has highlighted the multifaceted causes behind the rising rates of childhood obesity, providing key insights that could help shape global public health strategies. The study, which involved 30 experts from various sectors, identified local, national, and international factors that contribute to childhood obesity.

Main Findings:

• Local Factors: Home and school environments play a crucial role in promoting unhealthy lifestyles and energy imbalances among children.
• National Factors: Governance issues like poor policy-making, low responsiveness, and lack of collaboration between stakeholders hinder efforts to control childhood obesity. Additionally, social structures, urban design, air pollution, and social inequality contribute significantly to the issue.
• International Factors: Global challenges such as the World Health Organization’s ECHO program, trade policies, political sanctions, climate change, and the COVID-19 pandemic are influencing childhood obesity rates worldwide.

This study underscores the importance of a comprehensive approach to childhood obesity control, combining efforts from local communities, national governance, and international cooperation. It offers actionable insights that could be valuable for other countries with similar socio-economic conditions.

Article: “Addressing childhood obesity in Iran: exploring a multifaceted conceptual model in a low/middle income country through stakeholder lens”

Author: Hamed Pouraram

Professor of Nutritional Sciences

Department of Community Nutrition, School of Nutritional Sciences & Dietetics

Tehran University of Medical Sciences

Journal: BMC public health

IF: 3.5

Read-More-Here: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11853819/

DOI: https://www.doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-21221-1

science-communication@tums.ac.ir