Department of Nutritional Sciences,School of Life Course Sciences,Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine,King's College London,Franklin Wilkins Building,London SE1 9NH,UK.
Department of Primary Care and Public Health,School of Population Health Sciences,Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine,King's College London,Addison House,Guy's, London SE11UL,UK.
Proc Nutr Soc. 2018 Nov;77(4):456-469. doi: 10.1017/S0029665118000472. Epub 2018 Sep 27.
Childhood obesity is a common concern across global cities and threatens sustainable urban development. Initiatives to improve nutrition and encourage physical exercise are promising but are yet to exert significant influence on prevention. Childhood obesity in London is associated with distinct ethnic and socio-economic patterns. Ethnic inequalities in health-related behaviour endure, underpinned by inequalities in employment, housing, access to welfare services, and discrimination. Addressing these growing concerns requires a clearer understanding of the socio-cultural, environmental and economic contexts of urban living that promote obesity. We explore opportunities for prevention using asset based-approaches to nutritional health and well-being, with a particular focus on adolescents from diverse ethnic backgrounds living in London. We focus on the important role that community engagement and multi-sectoral partnership play in improving the nutritional outcomes of London's children. London's children and adolescents grow up in the rich cultural mix of a global city where local streets are characterised by diversity in ethnicities, languages, religions, foods, and customs, creating complex and fluid identities. Growing up with such everyday diversity we argue can enhance the quality of life for London's children and strengthen their social capital. The Determinants of young Adult Social well-being and Health longitudinal study of about 6500 of London's young people demonstrated the positive impact of cultural diversity. Born to parents from over a hundred countries and exposed to multi-lingual households and religious practices, they demonstrated strong psychological resilience and sense of pride from cultural straddling, despite material disadvantage and discrimination. Supporting the potential contribution of such socio-cultural assets is in keeping with the values of social justice and equitable and sustainable development. Our work signals the importance of community engagement and multisectoral partnerships, involving, for example, schools and faith-based organisations, to improve the nutrition of London's children.
儿童肥胖是全球城市普遍关注的问题，它威胁着城市的可持续发展。改善营养和鼓励体育锻炼的举措很有前景，但尚未对预防肥胖产生重大影响。伦敦儿童肥胖与独特的种族和社会经济模式有关。与健康相关的行为方面的种族不平等仍然存在，其背后是就业、住房、获得福利服务的机会和歧视方面的不平等。要解决这些日益严重的问题，需要更清楚地了解促进肥胖的城市生活的社会文化、环境和经济背景。我们探讨了使用基于资产的方法来促进营养健康和福祉的机会，特别关注来自不同种族背景的伦敦青少年。我们关注社区参与和多部门伙伴关系在改善伦敦儿童营养成果方面的重要作用。伦敦的儿童和青少年在一个全球化城市的多元文化环境中成长，当地街道的特点是种族、语言、宗教、食品和习俗的多样性，形成了复杂和流动的身份。我们认为，在这样的日常多样性中成长，可以提高伦敦儿童的生活质量，增强他们的社会资本。大约 6500 名伦敦年轻人的“青年成年社会福祉和健康纵向研究”表明了文化多样性的积极影响。这些年轻人的父母来自 100 多个国家，生活在多语言家庭和多种宗教习俗中，尽管面临物质贫困和歧视，但他们表现出很强的心理适应能力和对文化跨越的自豪感。支持这种社会文化资产的潜在贡献符合社会正义、公平和可持续发展的价值观。我们的工作表明了社区参与和多部门伙伴关系的重要性，例如涉及学校和信仰组织，以改善伦敦儿童的营养状况。
