It’s Your Move ACT: a 3-year obesity prevention intervention for secondary school students

Abstract

Obesity is a worldwide epidemic and researchers are in agreement that multiple prevention strategies are needed to promote a sustainable population impact. • More than one quarter of ACT adolescents are overweight or obese, reflecting the Australia-wide prevalence in children and adolescents aged 5-17 years. • Early adolescence is a significant time for obesity intervention due to increased independence and development of lifestyle practices. • ACT Health and WHO Collaborating Centre for Obesity Prevention (Deakin University) developed an innovative, systems based, three year trial for obesity prevention from 2012 to 2014. • Systems based interventions consider the multi-faceted, complex environment and processes in which obesity occurs, such as the various influences on the nutrition and physical activity choices made by adolescents, rather than simply the energy input and output by individuals. • Called It’s Your Move ACT, the intervention targets nutrition and physical activity to promote and support healthy living in secondary school students, staff and families. • The intervention has potential for improvements in weight, nutrition and physical activity behaviours, and attitudes and knowledge towards healthy living.