Family matters: Exploring the intergenerational transmission of the unhealthy = tasty intuition

Children often consume not enough vegetables, and the overall quality of their diet is concerning. This research investigates the intergenerational transmission of the Unhealthy = Tasty Intuition (UTI) from parents to children and its role in shaping children's vegetable consumption. In two studies involving both children and their parents, we test whether parental UTI beliefs predict their children's UTI beliefs. Our findings demonstrate a positive relationship between parental and child UTI beliefs, which, in turn, are negatively associated with children's vegetable consumption. In the second study, we explore which parental feeding practices can help explain the socialization of the UTI. Our research contributes to the understanding of how children's food beliefs and consumption are socialized. Recognizing the impact of the UTI on children's dietary consumption provides valuable insights for developing interventions and policies aimed at promoting healthier eating habits among children. By addressing the intergenerational transmission of the UTI, we can take significant steps toward mitigating childhood obesity and its associated health risks.

Obesity, laypeople's beliefs and implications for clinicians and leaders of healthcare organisations

BACKGROUND/AIM

Overweight and obesity (OAO) is a major and growing public health crisis in the world. There is convincing medical evidence that caloric overconsumption, rather than lack of exercise, is the primary driver of OAO.

METHODS

In this translation piece, we summarise our programme of research on laypeople's beliefs about the primary cause of OAO, the origins of these beliefs and implications for clinicians and leadership in healthcare organisations.

RESULTS

In contrast to the medical consensus, our research conducted in several countries has found that approximately half of the population mistakenly believes that lack of exercise is the primary cause of obesity. These misbeliefs have consequences: people who mistakenly believe that exercise is the most important factor are more likely to be overweight or obese than people who correctly believe that diet is the primary cause of obesity. We argue that these misbeliefs are caused in part by systematic and multipronged communications efforts by the food and beverage industry-a phenomenon we term 'leanwashing'.

CONCLUSIONS

Not only does leanwashing require public policy intervention by the government, healthcare professionals also need to respond appropriately. In this article, we focus on the implications of leanwashing for leaders of public health organisations, health delivery organisations and clinicians.

Intergovernmental policy opportunities for childhood obesity prevention in Australia: Perspectives from senior officials

BACKGROUND

Early childhood (from conception to five years) is a key life stage for interventions to prevent obesity. In the Australian Federation, policy responsibility for obesity prevention sits across all levels of government and several intergovernmental institutions, rendering a complicated policy space. There is a gap in our understanding of the role of intergovernmentalism in developing obesity prevention policy in Australia. Given the complexity of intergovernmental structures and initiatives influencing childhood obesity prevention policy, it is important to understand the perspectives of senior health officials within the bureaucracy of government who through their roles may be able to influence processes or new strategies.

METHODS

Document analysis relating to obesity prevention in the intergovernmental context provided material support to the study. This analysis informed the interview guides for nine interviews with ten senior health department officials (one interview per jurisdiction).

FINDINGS

Several opportunities exist to support nutrition and obesity prevention in early childhood including marketing regulation (discretionary choices, breastmilk substitutes, commercial complementary foods and 'toddler milks') and supporting the early childhood education and care sector. This study found a widening structural gap to support national obesity policy in Australia. New public management strategies limit the ability of intergovernmental institutions to support coordination within and between governments to address complex issues such as obesity. Subnational informants perceived a gap in national leadership for obesity prevention, while a Commonwealth informant noted the commitment of the national government to partner with industry under a self-regulation model. In this gap, subnational leaders have pursued nationally consistent action to address obesity, including the development of a national obesity strategy as a bipartisan endeavour across jurisdictions. Public officials calculate the strategic possibilities of pursuing opportunities within state agendas but note the limited chances of structural change in the absence of national leadership and funding.

Biological Properties and Bioactive Components of Allium cepa L.: Focus on Potential Benefits in the Treatment of Obesity and Related Comorbidities

Common onion (Allium cepa L.) is one of the oldest cultivated plants, utilized worldwide as both vegetable and flavouring. This species is known to contain sulphur amino acids together with many vitamins and minerals. A variety of secondary metabolites, including flavonoids, phytosterols and saponins, have also been identified. Despite the predominant use of this plant as food, a wide range of beneficial effects have also been proved. Different biological properties, such as antioxidant, antimicrobial and antidiabetic, have been reported. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of the studies concerning the beneficial effects of this species against obesity and its related comorbidities, such as hyperlipidaemia, hypertension and diabetes. Both in vitro and in vivo results about onion dietary supplementation have been taken into account. Furthermore, this review examines the possible role of onion bioactive components in modulating or preventing weight-gain or related diseases, as well as the possible mechanisms behind their activity.

Global warming and obesity: a systematic review

Global warming and the obesity epidemic are two unprecedented challenges mankind faces today. A literature search was conducted in the PubMed, Web of Science, EBSCO and Scopus for articles published until July 2017 that reported findings on the relationship between global warming and the obesity epidemic. Fifty studies were identified. Topic-wise, articles were classified into four relationships - global warming and the obesity epidemic are correlated because of common drivers (n = 21); global warming influences the obesity epidemic (n = 13); the obesity epidemic influences global warming (n = 13); and global warming and the obesity epidemic influence each other (n = 3). We constructed a conceptual model linking global warming and the obesity epidemic - the fossil fuel economy, population growth and industrialization impact land use and urbanization, motorized transportation and agricultural productivity and consequently influences global warming by excess greenhouse gas emission and the obesity epidemic by nutrition transition and physical inactivity; global warming also directly impacts obesity by food supply/price shock and adaptive thermogenesis, and the obesity epidemic impacts global warming by the elevated energy consumption. Policies that endorse deployment of clean and sustainable energy sources, and urban designs that promote active lifestyles, are likely to alleviate the societal burden of global warming and obesity.