| Popis: |
When it comes to the etiology of obesity among overweight and obese youth, an increasing amount of evidence-based research has shown that barriers to health behavior change may stem from social and environmental injustice rather than individual eating habits and food preferences. Engaging youth in obesity prevention advocacy efforts through skill development, education and behavior and attitude changes with the purpose of persuading others to take action holds promise as a way to increase the demand for policy changes to improve nutrition and physical activity. The food justice movement aims to challenge and restructure the food system, reduce disparities among those most vulnerable and establish a strong advocacy network within those communities. In this comprehensive literature review, we summarize published research that illustrates how the current obesogenic environment can be attributed to imbalance in the food system, which has lead to unequal access, availability and affordability of healthy food; we provide a systematic review of the prevalence of obesity among higher-income, non-Hispanic white children and adolescents compared to the dietary intakes of lower-income populations (specifically African American and Hispanic populations) to demonstrate that dietary intake disparities, in relation to income and race, have not improved over time; we discuss current public health research that indicates that preventing obesity in youth requires a comprehensive, societal, school-based approach through interventions that involve the individuals, families and communities in need and we outline a guide for the use of food justice education as a promising strategy to empower youth as obesity prevention advocates while also inciting health behavior change in themselves and their peers. |
