Review of Policies Implemented by Levels of Government to Curb Childhood Obesity: Strategies to improve future policies

Childhood obesity prevalence rates have reached epidemic levels in the United States having nearly tripled over the last thirty years (Prevention, 2012a). Increasing numbers of children are leading sedentary lifestyles. The causes of the pediatric obesity epidemic include factors that increase caloric consumption and those that lead to increasing sedentary behavior. Consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages has increased in tandem with the prevalence of pediatric obesity in the United States indicating a correlation. Data collected from two randomized controlled studies have shown that reducing children’s intake of sugary drinks leads to a reduction in weight gain and fat accumulation (Wilson, 2012). In addition, the marketing of high-caloric foods specifically targeted to children has been seen as a catalyst for childhood obesity and junk food (i.e. low-nutrition, energy-dense foods and beverages) intake (Koplan Institute of Medicine (U.S.). Committee on Progress in Preventing Childhood Obesity., 2007). Moreover, 94% of schools fail to provide lunches to students that meet USDA standards for healthy meals (Briefel, Wilson, Gleason, 2009). In an effort to curb the rapid increase in obesity throughout the United States, federal, state and local governments have begun to implement policies to help protect children. In December 2011, San Francisco implemented a policy to ban fast-food restaurants from providing toys in children’s meals that do not meet government nutrition guidelines (Bernstein, 2010). New York City banned supersized sugar-sweetened beverages from being sold by city restaurants, delis, sports facilities, and street vendors (Grynbaum, 2012). Howard County in Baltimore recently banned the distribution of sugary drinks on county property (Lavoie, 2012). Maine further extended federal restrictions on minimally nutritious foods at all high schools (Whatley Blum et al., 2011). On the federal level, the United States Congress reduced the standards for school lunches a year after strict guidelines were instituted (Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act, 2010). While these policies have been enacted recently and no formal evaluations have been published, they each lack several components of an effective governmental response. This paper proposes that future plans by governments should include, school-based interventions, taxation on high-caloric foods, restructuring of school lunches, elimination of high-caloric beverages from school campuses, and restrictions on marketing to children. Similar methods have been recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) and have been successful as population-based approaches for other health crises (Organization, 2012).Master of Public Healt