Moving beyond 'rates, roads and rubbish': How do local governments make choices about healthy public policy to prevent obesity?

Steven Allender,Gary Sacks,Brad Crammond,Mark Lawrence,Boyd Swinburn,Anna Peeters,Erin Gleeson,Bebe Loff

doi:10.1186/1743-8462-6-20

Steven Allender, Gary Sacks + Show 6 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/1743-8462-6-20

Copy DOI

Abstract

While the causes of obesity are well known traditional education and treatment strategies do not appear to be making an impact. One solution as part of a broader complimentary set of strategies may be regulatory intervention at local government level to create environments for healthy nutrition and increased physical activity. Semi structured interviews were conducted with representatives of local government in Australia. Factors most likely to facilitate policy change were those supported by external funding, developed from an evidence base and sensitive to community and market forces. Barriers to change included a perceived or real lack of power to make change and the complexity of the legislative framework. The development of a systematic evidence base to provide clear feedback on the size and scope of the obesity epidemic at a local level, coupled with cost benefit analysis for any potential regulatory intervention, are crucial to developing a regulatory environment which creates the physical and social environment required to prevent obesity.

Highlights

Obesity is a major risk factor in the development of noncommunicable diseases such as Type II diabetes, coronary heart disease and many cancers [1,2]
The changes most likely to improve the environment for healthy eating and physical activity within local areas were those supported by external funding, developed from a local evidence base and sensitive to community and market forces
A number of participants recalled examples from their own experience when research evidence had driven health policy change. This Strategic Manager used an example of how local social inequalities data led to policy change within their local government: Evidence base is really important

Summary

Introduction

Obesity is a major risk factor in the development of noncommunicable diseases such as Type II diabetes, coronary heart disease and many cancers [1,2]. In Australia obesity rates are increasing among children and disproportionately among people from socially and economically disadvantaged backgrounds [4,5,6,7,8,9]. The increase in obesity prevalence is due largely to increased consumption of high energy density foods, very low consumption of fruit and vegetables and a shift to less active transport and more sedentary leisure time activities [10,11,12]. Areas of low walkability [14], a high density of fast food outlets [15],

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion