Interventions to prevent overweight in children

There are only few controlled studies on prevention of overweight in children and adolescence. These studies differ with respect to strategy, setting, duration, focus, variables of outcome and statistical power. Universal and school-based interventions show some improvement of health knowledge and health-related behaviours but they have only minor or no effects on nutritional status. However they reduce the incidence of overweight. The effects seem to be more pronounced in girls than in boys. Children of middle and high class as well as children with intact families benefit better from intervention than children with low socioeconomic status. Selected prevention in overweight children was most successful when children were treated together with their parents. However there are social barriers limiting the success. Simple interventions in a single area are unlikely to work on their own. The development of effective preventive interventions likely require strategies that affect multiple settings simultaneously. At present there is no concerted action but many strategies are followed in isolation. There is need for national campaigns and action plans on childhood overweight and obesity. It is tempting to speculate that this will also increase the effects of isolated approaches.