Barriers to pediatric obesity prevention identified by family physicians
| BARRIER | EXPLANATION |
|---|---|
| Belief that pediatric obesity is a social or family problem | Prevention of pediatric obesity strictly concerns the individual, his or her parents, or society at large, and a family physician’s duty should be limited to simply raising the issue |
| Parents | Parents who themselves have weight problems, low levels of education, and high levels of stress might lack motivation and involvement, and deny the weight problems of their children |
| Family physicians’ practice level | Family physicians’ lack of time, resources, knowledge of published recommendations, referral options, monetary incentives, reimbursement for services, and tools to calculate BMI and its associated health risk, as well as their desensitization to the issue |
| Unwillingness to change | Parents and children who are unprepared for, or uninterested in, lifestyle changes |
| Incongruence of goals and perceptions | Weight reduction is difficult when each member involved (ie, parents, children, and family physicians) has a different perception about weight loss |
| Socioeconomic status | Childhood obesity is more prevalent among families with low socioeconomic status; these families are less able to afford services and healthy foods. Junk food industries offer low prices on products and they also exert a greater influence on dietary habits |
BMI—body mass index.
Data from Dorsey et al,2 Baker et al,3 Turner et al,4 Franc et al,5 Spivack et al,6 Walker et al,7 Sesselberg et al,8 and Heintze et al.9