IOM Report Recommends Government Actions to Curb Childhood Obesity
The Institute of Medicine (IOM) has published a report titled Local Government Actions to Prevent Childhood Obesity, which advises cities, counties and townships to adopt a variety of health measures likely to directly affect children outside the regular school day. According to IOM, “16.3 percent of children and adolescents between the ages of two and 19 are obese” and “more likely than their lower-weight counterparts to develop hypertension, high cholesterol, and type 2 diabetes when they are young.”
The report identifies nine healthy eating strategies focused on improving community and individual access to “healthy, safe and affordable foods”; reducing access to “calorie-dense, nutrient-poor foods”; and raising awareness about childhood obesity prevention. In addition, IOM offers six strategies designed to encourage physical activity, reduce sedentary behavior and stress the importance of sustained exercise. To further these goals, the report urges local policymakers to consider a number of action steps, including: (i) menu labeling requirements for chain restaurants, (ii) a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages, (iii) zoning laws that restrict fast food outlets and mobile vendors near schools and public playgrounds, (iv) prohibitions on food and beverage marketing near youth-friendly public spaces, and (v) incentive programs for retailers that reduce point-of-sale marketing for calorie-dense foods.
The IOM Committee on Childhood Obesity Prevention Actions for Local Government has reportedly likened these tactics to government efforts aimed at reducing tobacco use. “A ten percent increase in the price of a sugar-sweetened beverage could reduce consumption by eight to ten percent,” one committee member was quoted as saying. See IOM Briefing, Reuters and USAToday, September 1, 2009; FoodNavigator-USA.com, September 2, 2009.
