OECD challenges lack of government action on obesity

Governments must face up to their responsibilities in tackling obesity, the OECD has said.

The political and economic circumstances which give rise to an overweight population have so far been given “limited attention” by policy makers, according to a new OECD report on the obesity epidemic.

“There appears to be a limited awareness of, or willingness to intervene on, features of the political and economic environments which have contributed to the growth in overweight and obesity,” the report says.

Little attention has been devoted towards potential solutions such as greater availability of different types of food or changing the physical environment to encourage more physical activity.

Furthermore, the OECD adds that governments seem unable to explain why such measures are not being seriously considered.

“Any reasons for and against intervention should be made explicit and open to challenge,” the report adds.

The report also draws attention to the inequalities which exist in the way obesity affects different socioeconomic groups.

Such inequalities, it says, are more pronounced among women in particular, with more educated and higher socio-economic status women displaying substantially lower rates of obesity.

“Acting on the mechanisms that make women in poor socio-economic circumstances so vulnerable to obesity, and women at the other end of the socio-economic spectrum much more able to handle [these mechanisms], is of great importance not just as a way of redressing existing inequalities, but also because of its potential effect on overall social welfare,” the report says.

The findings in the OECD report are supported by a WHO report on the social determinants of health, which says that dealing with the obesity epidemic goes beyond changing individual behaviour.

“Obesity is not caused by moral failure on the part of individuals but by the excess availability of high-fat and high-sugar foods,” the WHO report says.

The same report calls on governments to take action in order to limit this availability and to control the additional political and economic factors which lead to an overweight population.

“Addressing the escalating problem of obesity in rich and poor countries alike cannot be left to market forces, but requires national and local government intersectoral approaches involving agriculture, urban planning, health, and sustainable development sectors,” the report adds.

The OECD report on the obesity epidemic can be found here.

Please go here for the WHO report on the social determinants of health.

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net