Childhood Obesity: Stigma, Impacts, and Interventions

At least 2.8 million people die each year due to obesity. More than just an appearance issue, being overweight or obese can be the root of various health problems, including diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Recent years saw surging numbers of childhood obesity, which indicates the urgent need for a collective effort to combat the chronic disease.

A prevalent case

More than 340 million children and adolescents aged 5-19 were overweight or obese in 2016, WHO data shows. Being overweight or obese is defined as having “abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that may impair health.”

The prevalence of overweight and obesity among children and adolescents aged 5-19 rocketed from 4% in 1975 to over 18% in 2016. Current lifestyles and environments play crucial roles in encouraging weight gain, not to mention the lack of physical activities due to screen-based, passive leisure activities. Children with obesity have a higher chance of developing diseases in adulthood.

Malnutrition & Low Self-Esteem

In Southeast Asia, countries are experiencing a ‘double burden’ of malnutrition, with some children suffering from being overweight while their peers suffer from stunting. Paradoxically, studies found that cases of obesity can be linked to undernutrition. A child whose growth was stunted will have a more significant risk of becoming overweight as an adult due to prolonged exposure to junk food and drinks with low nutritional values. The lack of access to proper and nutritious food can be attributed to poverty and food insecurity.

Childhood obesity also causes psychological impacts. As obesity is still generally misunderstood as the result of poor and lazy life choices instead of the culmination of genetic, environmental, and behavioral factors, many children with obesity suffer from stigma and bullying. Studies have discovered that frequent weight-based teasing could result in low self-esteem, negative perception of physical appearance, depression, and anxiety. This shows an urgent need to destigmatize and erase weight bias at the population level.

Interventions against child obesity

Obesity is a public health problem; therefore, no single entity can overcome this problem alone. Instead, lowering the rate of child obesity and minimizing the health impacts require a collective and collaborative effort from everyone, from the governments to parents.

Implementing sugary drinks taxes can be one way to restrict unhealthy diets. Countries worldwide have been implementing some taxation for sugar-sweetened beverages; meanwhile, WHO has also launched a manual on the policy implementations.

On the other hand, encouraging well-planned physical activity programs at school also has the potential for childhood obesity treatments, though the effectiveness still needs further study. Eventually, treating childhood obesity requires long-term, sustainable plans and efforts from different sectors to be effective, inclusive, and meaningful. Ensuring children receive the environment, support, and facilities they need to grow up with healthy minds and bodies means we ensure a path for future generations to thrive safely.

Editor: Nazalea Kusuma

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