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Children's Weight: Policy Implications

California has been a leader in advancing policies to combat childhood overweight and obesity, from banning soft drinks and unhealthful food in schools to requiring nutrition labeling in chain restaurants. (1) Yet the state, along with other states, continues to battle an overweight/obesity epidemic among children. While the rise in obesity may be leveling off overall, significant disparities persist by race/ethnicity and income. Obesity rates are greater for low-income youth compared to more affluent youth—particularly among boys—and for African Americans and Latinos as compared to Caucasians and Asians. (2) Reducing childhood obesity and improving fitness requires equitable access to safe places to play, affordable healthful foods and beverages, and less access to high-calorie foods and sugar-sweetened drinks. (3, 4) Public policy can make a difference by changing the environment in which children make food choices, live, and play. 

According to research and subject experts, policy options that could influence children’s weight and fitness include:
  • Continuing to enforce and extend legislation that restricts sales of unhealthful food and drinks in schools; increases the availability of fresh fruits and vegetables and water in schools; and improves the nutritional quality of other foods and drinks sold at school (1, 3, 4)
  • Funding and facilitating physical education at school (3, 4)
  • Supporting and planning for a built environment in schools and communities that encourages walking, bicycling, and outdoor play (3, 4)
  • Examining how to target anti-obesity efforts in a way that addresses racial/ethnic and income disparities, including increasing access to affordable healthful food (2)
  • Promoting greater school and student participation in the School Breakfast Program, as eating a healthful breakfast can help regulate food consumption throughout the day, increase intake of micronutrients, and decrease obesity (5)
  • Supporting public education efforts to promote healthful eating and active living (3)
For more policy ideas about promoting healthy weight and fitness among children, see the Research & Links section on this page or California Project LEAN, Action for Healthy Kids, and the ENACT Local Policy Database. Also see Policy Implications on kidsdata.org under Free/Reduced Price School Meals and Nutrition/Breakfast. 

Sources for this narrative:
  1. California Center for Public Health Advocacy. (n.d.). Legislative successes. Accessed online from http://www.publichealthadvocacy.org/legsuccess.html
  2. Babey, S. H., Hastert, T. A., Wolstein, J., & Diamant, A. L. (2010). Income disparities in obesity trends among California adolescents. American Journal of Public Health, 100(11). 2149-2155. Accessed online from  http://www.calendow.org/uploadedFiles/Publications/Publications_Stories/4146_income_disparities_obesity_trends.pdf
  3. California Obesity Prevention Program. (2010). 2010 California obesity prevention plan: A vision for tomorrow, strategic actions for today. Sacramento, CA: California Department of Public Health. Accessed online from http://www.cdph.ca.gov/programs/COPP/Documents/COPP-ObesityPreventionPlan-2010.pdf.pdf
  4. Ebbeling, C. B., Pawlak, D. B., & Ludwig, D. S. (2002). Childhood obesity: Public health crisis, common sense cure. Lancet, 360, 473-482. Accessed online from http://www.commercialalert.org/childhoodobesity.pdf
  5. Breakfast First. (2010). The benefits of breakfast: Health and academics. Accessed online from http://www.breakfastfirst.org/pdfs/HealthAndAcademicBenefits.pdf