The Story of Obesity
Obesity is looked at in the context of the tremendous historical changes of early 18th century and the economic and social consequences for society. Being overweight and obese in 18th century Britain were a mark of wealth and status.
Malnutrition was associated with poverty and deprivation, where much of the population struggled with the high prices of stable food such as bread, vegetables, and meat.
The Industrial Revolution in Britain ushered in huge advancement in agriculture including the mechanisation of farming, food processing, building of supermarkets, supply chains and distributions, and the proliferation of fast-food outlets. This meant easy access, affordability and lifestyle change for most of the population.
Low prices for processed food, ready meals high in fat, salt, and sugar with targeted advertising on TV and mobile devices, made food consumption affordable and easily accessible in most of the developed economies and some of the large emerging economies, fundamentally changing the trends of adult and childhood obesity. It’s worth noting some of the consequences of Covid-19 lockdown, sedentary life style, increase in food consumption and obesity.
Obesity in the 21st century is a public health problem, an avoidable condition costing health services millions with serious human and economic consequences to society.
Worldwide, there are numerous projects and activities developing and adapting different approaches for tackling obesity, mostly managed by schools, community groups, individuals, national and international bodies. Crowdsourcing offers valuable insights into obesity and generate important data for stakeholders worldwide.
thefoodiez.net is a digital platform developed to support crowdsourcing across national and cultural borders. The Food, Learning & Wellbeing is a project developed for collaboration, innovation, and scale.
How to join the conversation, go to Sharing Resources
The Food App trial is now scheduled for Autum Term 2024. For more information go to The Food App
