Skip Navigation

The European Journal of Public Health 2005 15(6):559-561; doi:10.1093/eurpub/cki215
This Article
Right arrow Full Text Freely available
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow Complete Reference List
Right arrow E-letters: Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when E-letters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Knai, C.
Right arrow Articles by McKee, M.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Knai, C.
Right arrow Articles by McKee, M.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© The Author 2005. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association. All rights reserved.

Viewpoint

Childhood obesity: the case for binding international legislation

Cécile Knai1, Tim Lobstein2 and Martin McKee3

1 Research Fellow, European Centre on Health of Societies in Transition, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
2 Childhood Obesity Coordinator, International Obesity TaskForce, London, UK
3 Professor of European Public Health, European Centre on Health of Societies in Transition, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

Correspondence: Cécile Knai, Research Fellow, European Centre on Health of Societies in Transition, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK e-mail: cecile.knai@lshtm.ac.uk

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.


   Introduction
 
The growth in childhood obesity is a global public health crisis, meriting a specially-convened Expert Consultation at the WHO in June 2005.1 The prevalence of overweight and obese children throughout Europe has risen from <10% in the 1980s to >20% on current estimates, with some countries reporting prevalence rates >30%.2 Higher body mass is not only well known as a factor in many diseases of adulthood but can also lead to debilitating diseases and problems in childhood and adolescence.3

The majority of humans appear genetically predisposed to gaining weight in an environment offering plentiful food and little need for physical activity. There is growing recognition of the contribution of this environment to the growth of childhood obesity, with attention focussing on the role of energy dense fast foods and soft drinks and the ways in which their consumption is being promoted.


   Part of a balanced diet?
 
The film ‘Supersize me’, in which an individual experienced . . . [Full Text of this Article]


   Selling the image
 

   Working together?
 

   The global dimension
 

Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?