Leaner times ahead

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Obesity is an intractable problem, causing suffering and predisposing those affected to other medical problems, and imposing medical and social costs on governments. There are a variety of ways in which obesity can be treated, but far less has been done to identify strategies for its prevention. It is not even clear whether there is one optimal approach, or whether differences in diet and culture mean that approaches should vary in different countries and regions.

The PorGrow project will address these uncertainties by using an innovative methodology to define how decisions on preventing obesity could best be made. A broad range of policies might have some relevance. For example, foods which are currently over-consumed, like manufactured cakes and biscuits, could be made less attractive by reducing subsidies, or the prices of fruit and vegetables could be reduced by increasing subsidies. Information on the nutritional value of foods could be made more accessible and meaningful to consumers, or marketing of locally-produced fruit and vegetables could be encouraged. The PorGrow Project will draw upon the expertise of project participants to collect views on these possible approaches in nine countries, representing a broad range of geographic and demographic types. For this reason, their inputs can be expected to reflect a wide range of dietary, cooking, and physical activity regimes.

PorGrow seeks to identify the policy, or collection of policies, that might provide the most effective means with which to reverse the rising trend in the prevalence of obesity.