5984 Why is the rate of childhood and adolescent obesity so low in Japan and high in the UK and what are the lessons that can be learnt?

Objectives The prevalence of obesity amongst children and adolescents continues to rise in the UK with associated diseases such as type two diabetes and several cancers becoming more common. Yet Japan still maintains one of the lowest rates of childhood and adolescent obesity internationally. This underlines the importance of exploring obesity prevention strategies used in Japan and how they can be utilised in the UK to tackle this epidemic. Methods A literature review has been undertaken on factors contributing to low obesity rates in Japan amongst children and adolescents and how they compare to current obesity prevention strategies in the UK. We included all studies focusing on children ages =<16 years of age. Results This review confirms the effectiveness of some strategies used in Japan to reduce rates of physical inactivity amongst children and improve dietary intake. This includes mandatory walk-to-school programmes, high nutritional content of school meals and the use of raw ingredients for school meals. However more robust evidence is needed to support the implementation of these strategies in the UK. Conclusion A holistic approach is essential to ensure the effectiveness of interventions is maximised. This includes revising the nutritional content and food processing of school meals as well as educating children and adolescents about the health benefits and risks of different foods. Ensuring routes are safer and more accessible could increase the numbers of children walking to school as well as regular anthropometric measurements to detect overweight children at an early stage and allow for reasonable interventions.