Prevention of overweight and obesity from a public health perspective

Abstract

International organizations have raised awareness of the increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity worldwide and the impact on morbidity, mortality, quality of life, and cost of healthcare. The development and implementation of obesity prevention strategies requires the identification and understanding of determinant factors that can be influenced by effective large-scale action plans over time. Strategies aimed at the primary prevention of obesity in a population should be multifaceted and designed to actively involve stakeholders and other major parties concerned; in addition, multiple settings for implementation should be considered. In this paper, an overview is presented of the strategies currently in place for obesity prevention, particularly in Spain. © 2009 International Life Sciences Institute.