Childhood obesity and racism: 2022 views and observations

Abstract

As obesity continues to pose an immense challenge to mitigate effectively, efforts to untangle its determinants continue, especially those that may exacerbate or impact childhood obesity, and its predictable and well-established multiple often irreversible negative health impacts. Studied for many years in various spheres, the role played by socially derived inequalities, and their long term health effects on youth have not been well studied in this regard, however. This mini review discusses what appears to be a possible insidious and contributing factor impacting various forms of service, resource disparities, and situational opportunities that may explain in part the prevailing and unequal childhood obesity rates between minorities and the mainstream child in the United States. Extracted from current literature, it is concluded that this is a topic of high potential and clinical relevance, and one worthy of intense study, more acceptance and recognition, plus dedicated sustainable collaborative policy goals and supportive efforts.