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7 Childhood and Juvenile Obesity in Italy: Health Promotion in an Era of Austerity

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Abstract

Over the last decade, Italy has witnessed a significant increase in the prevalence of childhood and juvenile obesity. The prevalence of childhood and juvenile obesity, common to most Western and European countries, produces important effects in the lives of today’s younger generations and can engender, in a medium- to long-term perspective, serious consequences for the physical health and well-being of future generations. Since 2008, the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) has accentuated an already existing process, by contributing to a decline in food quality, a deterioration in eating habits and an evident decrease in investments in healthcare. In Italy, these developments bring new and unfamiliar challenges for health promotion.

While the chapter is the result of collaborative work by the authors, Giuseppina Cersosimo took the lead in drafting the following parts: ‘Exploring a social epidemiological framework for obesity’ and ‘The challenges of obesity and health promotion in Italy’; Maurizio Merico took the lead in drafting the following parts: ‘Introduction’, ‘A renovated, post-GFC role for the family and the school in health promotion’ and ‘Conclusion’.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Salerno, Salerno, Italy

    Giuseppina Cersosimo & Maurizio Merico

Authors
  1. Giuseppina Cersosimo
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  2. Maurizio Merico
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Education, RMIT University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia

    Peter Kelly

  2. Leeds Beckett University, Leeds, United Kingdom

    Jo Pike

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Cersosimo, G., Merico, M. (2017). 7 Childhood and Juvenile Obesity in Italy: Health Promotion in an Era of Austerity. In: Kelly, P., Pike, J. (eds) Neo-Liberalism and Austerity. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-58266-9_8

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