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• Lam, Thao Minh; Aarestrup, Julie; Akker, Erica L. T. van den; Baker, Jennifer L.; Banik, Anna & Berntzen, Bram J. [Show all 56 contributors for this article] (2025). Advancing knowledge, maps and tools to address obesity and related socio-economic disparities in Europe: the OBCT project. Global health action. ISSN 1654-9716. 18(1). doi: 10.1080/16549716.2025.2517492. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The steady rise in overweight and obesity in Europe disproportionately affects people and communities with a lower socio-economic position (SEP). Many obesity prevention approaches exist, but these have had limited reach and unsatisfactory effects thus far, especially in low-SEP populations. In this context, there is a need for implementation of effective individual-level and population-based preventive strategies that also tackle health inequalities. Effective strategies require consideration of the complex and cross-domain obesity risk factors across the life course. Feasible and acceptable strategies require multisectoral collaborations and innovative approaches, including a whole-of community and systems perspective. With the Horizon Europe-funded OBCT project, we aim to quantify the relative contribution of biological, socio-cultural and built environment factors to obesity and the interactions of these risks within and across various life course stages; and translate the resulting knowledge into practical, equitable, and effective tools for action. These tools will include: a comprehensive obesity risk screener; a map of the obesogenicity of neighbourhood environments as well as trends in obesity prevalence of each European country; recommendations for lifestyle behaviours (diet, physical activity, sedentary behaviours) to prevent obesity during key life transition stages; a decision support dashboard for policy makers; and co-developed toolboxes to support implementation of policy recommendations in low-SEP communities. OBCT’s outputs will highlight the areas and domains in which obesity should be targeted and will empower the research community, policymakers, health professionals and residents in Europe to adapt and implement strategies to effectively reduce obesity risk, particularly in low-SEP communities.

• Nwosu, Emmanuel; Makwambeni, Patricia; Herstad, Sondre Haugsbø; Etsebeth, Hanli; Hendricks, Gaironeesa & Rodriguez, Anaely Aguiar [Show all 11 contributors for this article] (2023). Longitudinal relationship between adolescents' mental health, energy balance-related behavior, and anthropometric changes. Obesity Reviews. ISSN 1467-7881. 24(2). doi: 10.1111/obr.13629. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Energy balance-related behaviors (EBRBs) are considered the immediate causes of adolescents' body weight increases, but adolescents have identified mental health as a contributor. Cross-sectional studies have reported associations between adolescents' mental health and obesity, but causal relationships and the role of EBRBs within this can only be established using longitudinal studies. This systematic review summarizes the findings of longitudinal studies investigating this relationship, in addition to the role of EBRB in the relationship. Multiple electronic databases were searched for longitudinal studies using keywords related to the adolescent population, mental health, EBRB, and body weight. In total, 1216 references were identified and screened based on previously defined eligibility criteria. Sixteen articles met the inclusion criteria. Most studies indicated that mental health-related measures like depression, anxiety, and body dissatisfaction were related to an increase in body weight later. As this review is focused on behavioral mediators, six studies reported associations between mental health—anthropometry dyad and EBRBs such as eating habits, screen time, physical activity, and sleep—as well as stressors like peer victimization. Future studies may focus on streamlining mental health measures and body weight outcomes to assess this relationship. Furthermore, more longitudinal investigations are needed to provide insight into the role of EBRBs in the mental health–body weight relationship during adolescence.

• Herstad, Sondre Haugsbø; Grewal, Navnit Kaur; Banik, Anna; Klepp, Knut Inge; Knai, Cecile & Luszczynska, Aleksandra [Show all 10 contributors for this article] (2023). Adolescents' capacity to take action on obesity: A concurrent controlled before-and-after study of the European CO-CREATE project. Obesity Reviews. ISSN 1467-7881. 24(2), p. 1–12. doi: 10.1111/obr.13622. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Summary This study evaluated the effect on reported readiness for action and attitudes toward obesity prevention among older adolescents (mean age 17) who took part in a youth‐led participatory action research European initiative (CO‐CREATE Youth Alliances) compared with a comparison group that acted as controls. This was a concurrent before‐and‐after controlled study across five countries and took place between September 2019 and October 2020. Adolescents ( n  = 159) recruited from schools and youth organizations came together with researchers and formed 15 Youth Alliances. An online questionnaire measuring their readiness for action and attitudes toward obesity prevention was administered. Alliance members ( n  = 62) who filled in the questionnaire at both baseline and postinitiative, and adolescents from the comparison group ( n  = 132) who completed the questionnaire twice were included in the main analysis. Two‐level linear mixed models controlling for country‐related variance were fitted. Alliance members scored significantly higher than the comparison group on two factors in each of the readiness for action, responsibility, and drivers of behavior concepts. The findings suggest that involving youth in co‐creating policies to prevent obesity may increase adolescents' readiness for action and promote a shift in adolescents' conceptualization of obesity from an individual perspective to a societal responsibility and drivers of behavior.

• Rodriguez, Anaely Aguiar; Onal, Furkan; Hendricks, Gaironeesa; Blanchard, Laurence; Romanenko, Eduard & Fismen, Anne-Siri [Show all 16 contributors for this article] (2023). Understanding the dynamics emerging from the interplay among poor mental wellbeing, energy balance-related behaviors, and obesity prevalence in adolescents: A simulation-based study. Obesity Reviews. ISSN 1467-7881. 24(S2). doi: 10.1111/obr.13628. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Both obesity and poor mental wellbeing have a high prevalence in European youth. Adolescents in six countries identified mental wellbeing factors as main drivers of youth obesity through systems mapping. This study sought to (1) explore the dynamics of the interplay between poor mental wellbeing, energy balance-related behaviors, and adolescent overweight and obesity prevalence and (2) test the effect of intervention point scenarios to reduce adolescent obesity. Drawing on the youth-generated systems maps and a literature synthesis, we built a simulation model that represents the links from major feedback pathways for poor mental wellbeing to changes in dietary, physical activity, and sleep behaviors. The model was calibrated using survey data from Norway, expert input, and literature and shows a good fit between simulated behavior and available statistical data. The simulations indicate that adolescent mental wellbeing is harmed by socio-cultural pressures and stressors, which trigger reinforcing feedback mechanisms related to emotional/binge eating, lack of motivation to engage in physical activity, and sleep difficulty. Targeting a combination of intervention points that support a 25% reduction of pressure on body image and psychosocial stress showed potentially favorable effects on mental wellbeing—doubling on average for boys and girls and decreasing obesity prevalence by over 4%.

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