Policy Briefs assess data on socioeconomics of obesity and pan-European SSB consumption
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Two CO-CREATE policy briefs have been produced by researchers at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, with support from teams at World Cancer Research Fund, World Obesity Federation, EAT and World Health Organisation.
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Go to the home pageThe first explored current research literature on primary prevention of overweight and obesity in adolescents, and data on overweight/obesity and energy-balance related behaviours among children and adolescents. The second assessed research literature on intake of sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption, and associated inequalities, among adolescents in the European countries.
The Policy Brief Based On Current Research Literature And Existing Databases Targeting Adolescents analysed data from HSBC and COSI childhood obesity datasets, finding consistent inequalities in children and adolescents affected by overweight or obesity. Research shows that the literature available on the effect of primary interventions to prevent overweight and obesity in adolescents , as well as on addressing social inequalities and adolescent obesity, is limited. Policy actions were identified from the research, including the need for increased evaluation of intervention efficacy, literature reviews addressing the impact of social inequality on obesity interventions, and coordinated policy responses which target these inequalities.
The brief on Sugar-sweetened Beverage Consumption Among Adolescents In The European Countries aimed to evaluate the status of current research literature on young people’s SSB consumption, and related socioeconomic differences, based on HSBC and COSI databases. Data suggested variance of adolescent SSB consumption, however, trends of decline were identified in all European regions, with widening socioeconomic differences observed in some countries. This difference may be related to differing nutrition policy strategies.
The brief suggests further exploration on the countries experiencing a sharp decline in SSB consumption (e.g. Ireland, England and Norway) in order to understand reasons for this decline. Databases such as WCRF’S NOURISHING are examples of potentially useful resources in benchmarking variances and efficacies across national SSB nutrition policies.