Abstract
Despite a significant commitment to tackling childhood overweight and obesity, questions remain about the progress the Thai Government has made in implementing childhood obesity prevention policies and actions. This study aimed to review and assess the implementation of the government’s policies and actions for childhood obesity prevention in Thailand compared with the recommendations of the Commission on Ending Childhood Obesity and to identify the implementation gaps. Policy data were collected from governmental and NGO websites and publications and via direct contact with government officials. Stakeholder meetings were held to seek further information and advice on implementation gaps and to give recommendations. The analysis of each policy was conducted against pre-determined criteria formulated from literature assessments and stakeholder consultations. The policies and actions that were implemented by the Government were consistent with 33 broad policy actions and 55 specific policy actions. Preconception and pregnancy care was the policy area that was most implemented. Six broad policy actions were assessed as ‘high’ performance, these were: sugar-sweetened beverage taxation, nutrient labeling, nutrition guidance for preconception and pregnancy care, the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes, regulatory measures for supporting maternal breastfeeding, and regulations on the marketing of complementary foods and beverages. Policy coherence and monitoring and evaluation (M&E) were identified as major implementation gaps. Increasing the effectiveness of childhood obesity prevention in Thailand will require national immediate attention towards building infrastructure to enhance coherence among the policies and to put in place M&E mechanisms for each policy.
Highlights
Childhood obesity has risen dramatically over the last few decades, in both highincome and low-to-middle income countries
Despite its significant commitment to tackling childhood overweight and obesity, questions remain about the progress the Thai Government has made in implementing childhood obesity prevention policies and policy actions based on the Ending Childhood Obesity (ECHO) framework, and the key challenges it faces in implementing the policies
This paper aims to: (1) review current childhood obesity prevention policies and actions by Thai governments; (2) assess these government policies and actions compared to ECHO recommendations; and (3)
Summary
Childhood obesity has risen dramatically over the last few decades, in both highincome and low-to-middle income countries. Almost half of children under five years old with overweight or obesity are Asian [1]. Health Organization (WHO) established the Commission on Ending Childhood Obesity (ECHO) to address this challenge. ECHO developed a comprehensive, integrated package of recommendations and an implementation plan [2,3] to tackle childhood obesity. ECHO synthesized recommendations from a variety of existing global obesity prevention reports and focused on a whole-of-government and life course approach to obesity prevention [4]. A few developed countries have reported on their implementation of national policies and actions consistent with ECHO [5,6]
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