# Fighting obesity

*"Tackling childhood obesity is key" -- Diane Abbott *

By [Healthy societies](https://paragraph.com/@healthy-societies) · 2024-09-25

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Researches suggests that for some people, genes account for just 25% of the predisposition to be overweight ([source](https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/why-people-become-overweight)).

### Going the healthy way

In the recent times, there's a new term called “**Obesogenic**” - this refers to environments or factors that promote obesity by encouraging excessive calorie intake and discouraging physical activity. It includes aspects like the availability of unhealthy foods, sedentary lifestyles, and socio-cultural norms that contribute to weight gain and obesity.

If staying fit was the only way in the past, more recently, from 1971 to 2000, daily calorie intake increased by 168 calories for men and 335 for women, driven by greater availability, larger portions, and more high-calorie foods.

Food is now everywhere—shopping centers, stadiums, theaters, and even gyms. In 1970, Americans spent 27% of their food budget on dining out; by 2006, it had risen to 46%.

Instant gratification is hard to battle, and few are keen to chase results that come in the long run but require active involvement in present.

Lead by example
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The North Karelia Project which I described [here](https://paragraph.xyz/editor/ESWMsUoW9pfolqVgi5uA) it was an eye opener. If Sweden managed to reduce the rate from cardiovascular diseases among working-age men in the region **by over 80% since 1972**, when internet & digital world was practically non existent, I don't see why we could not get similar results in tackling obesity in the present day.

Of course, the availability of internet should help streamline certain aspects, while also making it harder on other ways.

I'll start by studying a few examples that are similar to the North Karelia Project, but with a focus on Obesity.

### EPODE Methodology

*   [initiated in 1992](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6003578/)
    
*   France, in 2 cities
    
*   actions: improve eating and physical activity habits
    

Initial results did not show satisfying results. **In order to improve results, a subsequent community-based intervention was created** that involved many local stakeholders.

**Four critical factors for success:**

1.  Political commitment: formal commitment is sought from political representatives from the local community to the state and federal level.
    
2.  Securing sufficient resources to fund central services, as well as contributions from local organisations to fund implementation at the community level
    
3.  Planning, coordinating actions and providing the social marketing and support services at community level
    
4.  Use evidence from numerous sources to guide the implementation of EPODE interventions and to evaluate outcomes
    

![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/1c9a1b9737f17016237d932abc1f8e5b.jpg)

**Number of Towns Involved in Community-based Interventions Based on EPODE Methodology**

In addition to the global impact on overweight and obesity prevalence, the FLVS study demonstrated that this prevention program was efficient across all socioeconomic levels.

Children in age groups from four to five and 11 to 12 (n=23,205) were weighed and measured annually between 2005 and 2009 by school health professionals. While national data available in France indicated an overall stabilisation in the prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity, results from the eight French EPODE pilot towns showed a significant decrease of 9.12 % (p<0.0001) in overweight and obesity between 2005 and 2009.

Based on the [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EPODE_International_Network) page, there are 30+ countries running the EPODE program.

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*Originally published on [Healthy societies](https://paragraph.com/@healthy-societies/fighting-obesity)*