Early Childhood Obesity Prevention Policies (2011) / Chapter Skim
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1 Introduction
1 Introduction
Pages 17-34
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From page 17... ...
The Standing Committee recognized that prevention strategies focused on this early period, when intervention can affect rapidly developing metabolic and behavioral systems, have the potential to alter the risk for obesity and chronic disease in childhood and throughout the life span. The Standing Committee believed that addressing early childhood obesity offers an important pathway to reversing the childhood obesity epidemic and that, while much research and policy effort had focused on obesity prevention for school-age children and teens, there was a paucity of consistent and authoritative guidance on obesity prevention policy and practice for young children.
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From page 18... ...
In conducting its task, this committee will: • Draw on primary and secondary sources to assess evidence on the: -- major factors affecting obesity risk in young children, including the relationship with caregiv ers, physical activity opportunities and barriers, access to healthy foods, social determinants, and other important factors; -- major factors in the first 5 years that affect attitudes, preferences, and behaviors important to overweight and obesity; and -- relationships between elevated weight status and excess weight gain in young children and their health and well-being during childhood and risk for obesity-related comorbidities, across the life course. • Identify settings, existing programs, and policy opportunities for childhood obesity prevention efforts in the first 5 years; • Consider the inclusion of illustrative case studies; and • Make recommendations on early childhood obesity prevention policies across a range of settings and types of programs, taking into account potential distinctions between policy recommendations for the first 2 years (birth to 2 years)
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From page 19... ...
. These statistics are of particular concern because rapid weight gain and obesity during the first years of life increase the risk for later obesity (Freedman et al., 2005; Goodell et al., 2009; Ong et al., 2009; Stettler et al., 2003)
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From page 20... ...
In contrast to later stages of life, early development is a period when it is not necessary to change established dietary and activity patterns, but to promote the development of healthy patterns. Despite the critical role of early learning and development in shaping obesity risk, infancy and early childhood have not been a focus of obesity prevention efforts.
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From page 21... ...
These adults have a powerful impact on children's developing patterns of eating and activity; they structure their children's environments through the choices they make, both within the family and through the child care arrangements they select for out-ofhome care. These environments can differ in opportunities they provide for activity, for television viewing, and for the consumption of some foods and not others.
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From page 22... ...
A number of key factors influence the weight of an infant or young child, including prenatal influences, eating patterns, environments, physical activity levels, sleep patterns, food and beverage market ing, and screen time. All of these factors come into play in the policy environment that shapes the places where children spend their time and must be addressed in a coordinated manner if progress is to be made against the early onset of childhood obesity.
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From page 23... ...
Parents also can play an important role beyond the direct role they play at home with their children. Working with other parents, for example, they can influence their children's child care food environment for the better, support child care staff in making healthy changes in foods and beverages provided in young children's educational settings, or join with their neighbors to direct local government attention to a neglected or unsafe neighborhood park.
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From page 24... ...
STUDY APPROACH The committee's approach to this study encompassed gathering and assessing the evidence, formulating recommendations, and exploring child care standards. Gathering and Assessing the Evidence The formulation of policy recommendations calls for careful consideration of the evidence associated with one course of action or another.
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From page 25... ...
The committee's 15 members brought to bear a broad array of knowledge and experience related to young children in the areas of • child development, • obesity prevention, • child health, • nutrition, • infant development, • physical activity, 25 Introduction
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From page 26... ...
In formulating its recommendations, therefore, the commit tee considered policies that would promote young children's health, with a focus on the key factors linked to obesity in early childhood, such as eating patterns, physical activity levels, television viewing, marketing, and sleep. The commit tee formulated policy recommendations and also identified potential actions that could be taken to implement those recommendations.
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From page 27... ...
All young children share the need for healthy food, optimum physical activity, sufficient sleep, health care providers who monitor their growth for healthy patterns and who advise and assist their parents in following through, and protection from the negative influences of too much sedentary behavior and the marketing of unhealthy foods and beverages to children. Nonetheless, in developing obesity prevention recommendations and implementation strategies that will be effective for young children and their families, the committee recognized the importance of negative social and economic factors in some communities that can act as barriers to a recommendation's success.
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From page 28... ...
Obesity prevention efforts in early childhood require consistent and com mon policy, practices, and information across multiple settings; innovative think ing about implementation; effective communication among caregivers; and shared concerns for healthy development and obesity prevention in young children. Exploring Child Care Standards Throughout this report, the committee makes recommendations for the develop ment of standards by state child care regulatory agencies.
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From page 29... ...
There is currently a national thrust, including among national health and child care organizations and at HHS, toward encouraging state child care regulations that will contribute to obesity prevention in young children (AAP et al., 2010; National Resource Center for Health Safety in Child Care and Early Education, 2011)
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From page 30... ...
ORGANIZATION OF THE REPORT Chapter 2 addresses the importance of beginning growth monitoring at birth in order to gauge and respond to a child's risk of developing obesity, as well as the usefulness of understanding the major prenatal influences on early childhood weight. Chapters 3 through 6 are organized around the key factors that play a role in early childhood obesity development and prevention: physical activity (Chapter 3)
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From page 31... ...
2011. Wide variability in physical activity environments and weather-related outdoor play policies in child care centers within a single County of Ohio.
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From page 32... ...
2011. Achieving a State of Healthy Weight: A National Assessment of Obesity Prevention Terminology in Child Care Regulations 2010.
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From page 33... ...
2010. Effects of child care policy and environment on physical activity.
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