Preventing Childhood Obesity

1. Preventing Childhood Obesity A Public Health Approach Dr. David McKeown Medical Officer of Health Toronto Public Health Ottawa, Ontario March 23, 2011

2. Overweight, but Undernourished • One third of Toronto children age 2-11 years are obese • Less than 3 out of 10 children age 4-8 years eat recommended servings of fruits and vegetables • 62% of girls and 68% of boys age 9-13 years do not eat 5-10 servings of vegetables and fruit a day • 27% of calories consumed by children and adolescents are made up of snacks and the majority are high in calories, fat and sugar

3. Ecological Model of Prevention

4. A Food System Approach

5. Food System – “Grow it to Throw it”

6. Disconnection: A Food System Theme • Most affordable/accessible food choices often the least healthy • Children and parents with limited food skills • Most marketed food products calorie-dense and nutrient poor

7. A Health Focused Food System… • Supports food safety, nutrition & disease prevention • Empowers people with food skills & information • Creates green jobs • Protects the environment • Builds strong communities • Promotes social justice

8. Traditional Public Health and Municipal Food Roles marketing consumption processing production waste trade retail distribution • waste collection • food safety inspection • nutrition education • business licenses

9. Local Public Health Action on Food and Obesity • Prenatal and Parenting • Child Care • School • Recreation Facilities

10. Prenatal, Parenting and Obesity • Healthiest Babies Possible • Breastfeeding support • Peer Nutrition Program • Parenting programs

11. Child Care and Obesity • Decrease use of packaged food • More healthy, local food • Eliminate trans fat

12. Ontario Ministry of Education School Food and Beverage Policy • Improve access to, and availability of healthy food in schools • All Ontario school boards to be in compliance by September 1, 2011

13. Student Nutrition Programs and Obesity • 465 school communities operate 685 programs, and serve 132,246 meals to children and youth per school day

14. School Food Gardens and Food Literacy • 26 elementary and high school gardens • Farm to school program

15. Healthy Vending in Recreation Facilities • Parks, Forestry and Recreation has proposed Healthy Cold Drink Vending and Pouring Rights criteria: • to move from 50% healthy beverages to 100% • to be phased in within 4 years. • Healthy snack vending pilot

16. Commercial Advertising to Children • Food and beverages developed for, and advertised to, young people are dominated by those that are calorie dense and nutrient poor • Television advertising influences children’s food and • beverage preferences, purchase requests and short- • term consumption

17. Food System Mapping

18. Measuring and Reporting • School-Based Student Health Surveillance • Comprehensive: • health behaviours – nutrition and physical activity • BMI Measures • Grades 7-12

19. Preventing Childhood Obesity A Public Health Approach Dr. David McKeown Medical Officer of Health Toronto Public Health Ottawa, Ontario March 23, 2011