Did you read part 1? Read it first (scroll down)….otherwise, carry on.
To reduce the burden of obesity at a population level, we need to get people who are overweight and/or obese to consume fewer calories or to increase energy expenditure. Ideally both. Even better, we want to prevent them from becoming overweight in the first place (it stands to reason, that if you don’t become overweight, you can’t become obese). The main focus of any intervention should thus be on “preventing small excesses of weight, which lead to large weight gain over time, as once a large amount of excess weight is gained, it is very difficult to lose”.
We assume that informed consumers will use all the information we provide them about the benefits of a healthy diet and lifestyle and act accordingly. After all, don’t we all want to be healthy? Achieve energy balance and a healthy weight, limit energy intake from total fats (and from saturated fats to unsaturated fats), increase consumption of fruit and vegetables, as well as legumes, whole grains and nuts, limit the intake of sugars, increase physical activity (at least 30 minutes of regular, moderate-intensity activity on most days). It falls on the individual to change diet and lifestyle for all to be well. BUT attempts to decrease obesity that focus primarily on changing individual behaviour have been mostly ineffective on a population level (as Part 1 of this piece has shown us). Knowledge alone may be insufficient to induce sustained changes in dietary habits. Obviously, we need to promote health. No one believes that an individual will act if he/she has no information or does not know how and what to do in order to change. No knowledge means no support for Government action perceived to be more intrusive (“I do not know why you are doing this and hence I will not accept it”). And, most importantly, this information must come from reliable sources. Do not despair. We do need nutritionists! However, we can’t rely solely on education, persuasion, facilitation, upskilling or empowerment (powerful as they may be). We need new strategies. Onwards to Part 3…