Analysis of TV, advertising and other behavioral determinants of overweight and obesity in childhood.

Worldwide obesity has reached the proportion of an epidemic. A well-established fact is that nowadays many low-and middle-income countries are facing a "double burden" of disease, dealing with under-nutrition on one side, and on the other experiencing a rapid rise in non-communicable disease risk factors such as obesity and overweight, particularly in urban settings. Behavioral components are strongly influencing obesity spread and development, especially when considering TV and advertising. There is, therefore, the need of multi-cultural and cross-cultural research, in order to gain a full understanding of the association between obesity and different risk factors, in different scenarios, providing the best evidence to decision makers, grounding prevention on evidence-based strategies rather than focusing on single factors without the recognition of their mutual influence.