WHAT CAN WE DO TO PREVENT CHILDREN'S OBESITY?

Obviously, we can do lots of things to prevent obesity in the childhood, but three of them can be summarized in the following list:

• Educating the public, and particularly health care providers, in the area of nutrition and how to improve the nutritional intake of children without adding an excess of calories.

• Addressing nutrition and healthy lifestyles in the school curriculum. Physical activity should be promoted in schools and in the general population and the quality of foods and beverages offered in schools should be improved.

• Promoting food and agricultural policies that stimulate consumption of healthy diets. Industry’s role in developing healthier food products and in promoting public health and nutrition should be recognized and encouraged.