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INTRODUCTION

The epidemiological transition of diseases from underweight to overweight, and currently obesity, has greatly risen and has affected the whole world (Pereira and Oleiveira, 2021). Obesity has been defined as a condition caused by an imbalance between energy, that usually results from increased intake of energy, or insufficient release of energy, or genetic factors (Procter, 2007). Childhood obesity has been on the rise, with higher prevalence in the developed world than in developing nations, thus it has gained public health attention. Obesity has been mostly attributed to lifestyle factors, although it has a multifactorial causal nature. According to Pereira and Oleiveira (2021) review, the prevalence of obesity among children and teenagers in 2013 in developed nations was at 23.8% for boys and 22.6% for girls, whereas in developing nations 12.9% in boys and 13.9% in girls (Ng et al., 2014; Pereira and Oleiveira, 2021). Pereira and Oleiveira (2021) concluded that intervention programs aimed at educational approaches failed to reduce childhood obesity. They suggested that building a better environment will reduce the problem of childhood obesity (Pereira and Oleiveira, 2021).

In terms of dietary intake, it has been reported that dietary intake in earlier stages of life may have a great impact on childhood obesity (Issanchou, 2017). This has led to the ever surge several research to determine how dietary and nutritional intervention can contribute immensely to the reduction of childhood obesity. In one UK review, some diets were mentioned that may be plausible in the development of childhood obesity. Such dietary intake includes fruits and vegetables, fiber, fat, fast food, and drinks rich in sugar (Ambrosini, 2014). Only sugary drinks have been agreed by most researchers that have a great casual relationship in Childhood obesity (Hu, 2013; Ambrosini, 2014). Ambrosini (2014) suggested that since it is very difficult to determine the kinds of diet associated with childhood obesity that it is important that empirical dietary patterns provide the solution, because they utilize correlated nature of dietary data to establish patterns in total food consumption, thus, reduce the energy content in foods (Ambrosini, 2014). Also, guidelines on information regarding food consumption developed by the dietary patterns can be passed to the public for adoption (Ambrosini., 2014). She concluded by saying that empirical dietary patterns that foods containing high fat, high in energy-dense, and low fiber content are major risk factors leading to overweight and obesity in children. Also, she suggested that a dietary pattern could be better in explaining obesity risk than identifying foods or individual nutrients (Ambrosini, 2014). Therefore, this present review hopes to determine dietary effects on childhood obesity.

AIM

• The present study aims to determine the effect of diet on childhood obesity in the UK.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

• To determine the major factor in dieting that result in weight gain among children
• To understand whether identifying individual nutrients in food or the study of dietary patterns would help reduce childhood obesity
• To identify the best dietary intervention programs in the UK that will reduce childhood obesity
• To ascertain whether family income level affects dietary intake as seen in obese children.
• To determine societal factors regarding dieting contributing to childhood obesity.
• To determine the strength of association and relation between dietary intake and childhood obesity.

RESEARCH PROBLEM

Childhood obesity is now a matter of public health concern and it is evident that obesity is a major risk factor in Type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, and other cardiovascular dysfunction (Procter, 2007). Several research has shown that individual and school-based approach is not sufficient in reducing obesity (Pereira and Oleiveira, 2021). Therefore, a change in the environment and dietary pattern may be effective to reduce childhood obesity (Pereira and Oleiveira, 2021). Hence the reason for this review, to determine the dietary effect in childhood obesity in the United Kingdom.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

• How could consuming many foods rich in energy lead to childhood obesity?
• How do dieting in children affects children’s weight gain?
• What are the changes in society regarding dietary pattern that increases the prevalence of childhood obesity?
• Is income gradient a determinant factor for childhood obesity?
• How strong is the association and relation between dietary intake and childhood obesity?

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

According to estimations, one-third of children between the age of two (2) to the age of fifteen (15) are either overweight or obese (HSCIC, 2016; Noonan, 2018). The obesity and the overweight situation has been thought to result from dietary intake and lifestyle behaviors, as many scientists and researchers have agreed that a family’s level of income is a major determinant of obesity, especially in poorer homes (HSCIC, 2016; Noonan, 2018). This could be valid as other UK studies have proven that healthy foods are more costly than unhealthy foods (Jones et al., 2014; Jones et al.,2017; Noonan, 2018). Also, high consumption of fast food and low consumption of fruits and vegetables has been found among children from poor homes (Noonan, 2018). Nowadays, both the children of the rich and the poor are also becoming overweight and obese. Therefore, this present study will focus on knowing the association and relation between dietary intake and obesity.

METHODOLOGY

• Study Design: This is a systematic review that will concentrate on reviewing current literature to determine the effect of Diet on Childhood Obesity. In the search for this literature, keywords such as “Obesity”, “Children”, “Childhood”, “Diet”, “Dietary-pattern”, “Adolescent”, “Etiology”, “UK”, will be utilized. Databases such as Pubmed/ Medline, Google Scholar, Cochrane library will also be used to source data. Also, Inclusion and exclusion criteria will be used in selecting relevant literature for this study.
• ANALYSIS
• The following will be used for analysis in this review, they are; cluster analysis (CA) and/or factor analysis (FA), and/or principal component analysis (PCA). The results will be presented as odds ratios (OR).
• RISK ASSESSMENT

The risk assessment conducted for this project is provided in the table below:

Table 1:  Risk assessment

• SCHEDULE

Table 2: Project Plan

REFERENCES

Ambrosini, G.L. (2014) Childhood dietary pattern and later obesity: A review of the evidence, Proceedings of the Nutrition Society. 73: 137-146

Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) (2016) Health Survey for England    2015: Children’s Body Mass Index, Overweight and Obesity. The Health and Social Care Information Centre; London, UK:

Hu, F.B. (2013) Resolved: there is sufficient scientific evidence that decreasing sugar-sweetened beverage consumption will reduce the prevalence of obesity and obesity-related diseases. Obes Rev 14: 606–619

Issanchou S. (2017) Determining Factors and Critical Periods in the Formation of Eating Habits: Results from the Habeat Project. Ann. Nutr. Metab. 70:251–256.

Jones, N.R.V., Conklin A.I., Suhrcke M., Monsivais P. (2014) The growing price gap between more and less healthy foods: Analysis of a novel longitudinal UK  dataset. PLoS ONE. 9: 109343.

Jones, N.R.V., Tong T.Y.N., Monsivais P. (2017) Meeting UK dietary recommendations are associated with higher estimated consumer food costs: An analysis using the National Diet and Nutrition Survey and consumer expenditure data, 2008–2012. Public Health Nutr. 21:948–956.

Ng M., Fleming T., Robinson M., Thomson B., Graetz N., Margono C., Mullany E.C., Biryukov S., Abbafati C., Abera S.F. (2014) Global, regional, and national prevalence of overweight and obesity in children and adults during 1980–2013: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013. Lancet. 384:766–781.

Noonan, R.J. (2018) Poverty, Weight status, and Dietary intake among the UK, Adolescents. International Journal on Environmental Research and Public

Pereira, A. R., and Oleveira, A. (2021) Dietary Intervention to Prevent Childhood obesity: A  literature review. Nutrients, 13(10): 3447

Procter, K.L. (2007) The etiology of childhood obesity: a review. Nutrition Research Reviews,  20: 29-45.

Last updated: Jan 14, 2022 03:27 PM