Backward- and forward-looking responsibility for obesity: policies from WHO, the EU and England

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

Standard

Backward- and forward-looking responsibility for obesity: policies from WHO, the EU and England. / Vallgårda, Signild; Nielsen, Morten Ebbe Juul; Hartlev, Mette; Sandøe, Peter.

In: European Journal of Public Health, Vol. 25, No. 5, 04.04.2015, p. 845-848.

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

Harvard

Vallgårda, S, Nielsen, MEJ, Hartlev, M & Sandøe, P 2015, 'Backward- and forward-looking responsibility for obesity: policies from WHO, the EU and England', European Journal of Public Health, vol. 25, no. 5, pp. 845-848. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckv076

APA

Vallgårda, S., Nielsen, M. E. J., Hartlev, M., & Sandøe, P. (2015). Backward- and forward-looking responsibility for obesity: policies from WHO, the EU and England. European Journal of Public Health, 25(5), 845-848. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckv076

Vancouver

Vallgårda S, Nielsen MEJ, Hartlev M, Sandøe P. Backward- and forward-looking responsibility for obesity: policies from WHO, the EU and England. European Journal of Public Health. 2015 Apr 4;25(5):845-848. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckv076

Author

Vallgårda, Signild ; Nielsen, Morten Ebbe Juul ; Hartlev, Mette ; Sandøe, Peter. / Backward- and forward-looking responsibility for obesity: policies from WHO, the EU and England. In: European Journal of Public Health. 2015 ; Vol. 25, No. 5. pp. 845-848.

Bibtex

@article{2ee9099adf63474fa9e50009b8f51583,
title = "Backward- and forward-looking responsibility for obesity: policies from WHO, the EU and England",
abstract = "ackground: In assigning responsibility for obesity prevention a distinction may be drawn between who is responsible for the rise in obesity prevalence ({\textquoteleft}backward-looking responsibility{\textquoteright}), and who is responsible for reducing it ({\textquoteleft}forward-looking responsibility{\textquoteright}). Methods: We study how the two aspects of responsibility figure in the obesity policies of WHO (European Region), the EU and the Department of Health (England). Results: Responsibility for the emergence and reduction of obesity is assigned to both individuals and other actors to different degrees in the policies, combining an individual and a systemic view. The policies assign backward- looking responsibility to individuals, the social environment, the authorities and businesses. When it comes to forward-looking responsibility, individuals are expected to play a central role in reducing and preventing obesity, but other actors are also urged to act. WHO assigns to individuals the lowest degree of backward- and forward- looking responsibility, and the Department of Health (England) assigns them the highest degree of responsibility. Discussion: Differences in the assignment of backward- and above all forward-looking responsibility could be explained to some extent by the different roles of the three authorities making the plans. WHO is a UN agency with health as its goal, the EU is a liberal economic union with optimization of the internal European market as an important task, and England, as an independent sovereign country, has its own economic responsibilities.",
keywords = "Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Obesity, responsibility, Health Policy",
author = "Signild Vallg{\aa}rda and Nielsen, {Morten Ebbe Juul} and Mette Hartlev and Peter Sand{\o}e",
year = "2015",
month = apr,
day = "4",
doi = "10.1093/eurpub/ckv076",
language = "English",
volume = "25",
pages = "845--848",
journal = "European Journal of Public Health",
issn = "1101-1262",
publisher = "Oxford University Press",
number = "5",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Backward- and forward-looking responsibility for obesity: policies from WHO, the EU and England

AU - Vallgårda, Signild

AU - Nielsen, Morten Ebbe Juul

AU - Hartlev, Mette

AU - Sandøe, Peter

PY - 2015/4/4

Y1 - 2015/4/4

N2 - ackground: In assigning responsibility for obesity prevention a distinction may be drawn between who is responsible for the rise in obesity prevalence (‘backward-looking responsibility’), and who is responsible for reducing it (‘forward-looking responsibility’). Methods: We study how the two aspects of responsibility figure in the obesity policies of WHO (European Region), the EU and the Department of Health (England). Results: Responsibility for the emergence and reduction of obesity is assigned to both individuals and other actors to different degrees in the policies, combining an individual and a systemic view. The policies assign backward- looking responsibility to individuals, the social environment, the authorities and businesses. When it comes to forward-looking responsibility, individuals are expected to play a central role in reducing and preventing obesity, but other actors are also urged to act. WHO assigns to individuals the lowest degree of backward- and forward- looking responsibility, and the Department of Health (England) assigns them the highest degree of responsibility. Discussion: Differences in the assignment of backward- and above all forward-looking responsibility could be explained to some extent by the different roles of the three authorities making the plans. WHO is a UN agency with health as its goal, the EU is a liberal economic union with optimization of the internal European market as an important task, and England, as an independent sovereign country, has its own economic responsibilities.

AB - ackground: In assigning responsibility for obesity prevention a distinction may be drawn between who is responsible for the rise in obesity prevalence (‘backward-looking responsibility’), and who is responsible for reducing it (‘forward-looking responsibility’). Methods: We study how the two aspects of responsibility figure in the obesity policies of WHO (European Region), the EU and the Department of Health (England). Results: Responsibility for the emergence and reduction of obesity is assigned to both individuals and other actors to different degrees in the policies, combining an individual and a systemic view. The policies assign backward- looking responsibility to individuals, the social environment, the authorities and businesses. When it comes to forward-looking responsibility, individuals are expected to play a central role in reducing and preventing obesity, but other actors are also urged to act. WHO assigns to individuals the lowest degree of backward- and forward- looking responsibility, and the Department of Health (England) assigns them the highest degree of responsibility. Discussion: Differences in the assignment of backward- and above all forward-looking responsibility could be explained to some extent by the different roles of the three authorities making the plans. WHO is a UN agency with health as its goal, the EU is a liberal economic union with optimization of the internal European market as an important task, and England, as an independent sovereign country, has its own economic responsibilities.

KW - Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences

KW - Obesity

KW - responsibility

KW - Health Policy

U2 - 10.1093/eurpub/ckv076

DO - 10.1093/eurpub/ckv076

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 25931499

VL - 25

SP - 845

EP - 848

JO - European Journal of Public Health

JF - European Journal of Public Health

SN - 1101-1262

IS - 5

ER -

ID: 136935656