Adolescents' Perspectives on Personal and Societal Responsibility for Childhood Obesity — The Study of Beliefs through 'Serious' Game (PlayDecide). (25th February 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Timotijevic, Lada; Acuna‐Rivera, Marcela; Gemen, Raymond; Kugelberg, Susanna; McBarron, Kate; Raats, Monique M.; Zolotonosa, Maria
• Is Part Of: Children & society. Volume 32:Number 5(2018:Sep.)
• Page Start: 405
• Page End: 416
• Publication Date: 2018-02-25
• Subjects: adolescents -- childhood obesity -- choice autonomy -- food and health -- public participation -- responsibility; Children -- Care and hygiene -- Periodicals; Child welfare -- Periodicals; Child welfare -- Great Britain -- Periodicals; Children -- Social conditions -- Periodicals; Child development -- Periodicals; 362.70941
• DOI: 10.1111/chso.12271
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0951-0605

Abstract

Abstract : The dominant approaches to public health policy on childhood obesity are based on the neoliberal emphasis of personal choice and individual responsibility. We study adolescents' ( N = 81) beliefs about responsibility for childhood obesity as a public health issue, through an innovative participatory method, PlayDecide, organised in two countries: the UK and Spain. There is no evidence of a blanket rejection of individual responsibility, rather, a call for renegotiation of the values that inform adolescents' food choices. The findings suggest the need to broaden the framing of obesity‐related policy to go beyond the nutritional paradigm and include other values that signal health.