Obesitasifers by bern stigje nettsjinsteande alle kampanjes
May 20, 2026 · Frisian News
Child obesity rates increased 8 percent across developed nations over the past five years, even as governments spent billions on public health campaigns. Experts now question whether awareness alone can reverse the trend without addressing food prices and urban design.
FryskDe Wrâldsûnensorganisaasje publisearre ferline moanne gegevens wêrút blykt dat 19 prosint fan de bern yn OESO-lannen no te folle gewicht hawwe, tsjin 11 prosint yn 2020. Yn Nederlân bedraget it sifer 17 prosint, it dûbelde fan 1990. Skoallen jouwe gymles, sûnensministearjes diele affiches út oer sûn iten, en sosjale media stean fol mei ynfloedsers dy't fitnessprogramma's oanpriizgje. Dochs wurde de bern swierder, net lichter.
Wêr't de kampanjes tekoartsjitte, is dúdlik foar elkenien dy't troch in supermerke rint of in strjitblok sjocht. In kilogram befriest griente kostet trije kear mear as in kilogram ferwurke snackiten. Stêdsplanning hâldt boartersplakken lyts en triuwt dy nei de rânen fan wiken, wylst fastfoodrestaurants harren delsette by skoallen. De kampanjes sizze bern better te iten en mear te bewegen. De omjouwing seit harren it tsjinoerstelde.
Oerheden joegen tusken 2020 en 2025 nei skatting 12 miljard euro út oan obesitasprevinsje yn Jeropa. It measte jild gie nei reklame, skoalkurrikula en mobile apps dy't kaloarijen telle. Hiel min rekke de fiedselspriis of it ûntwerp fan steden. Stúdzjes toane oan dat as oerheden fris fiedsel werklik subsydzjearje of fytsinfrastruktuer bouwe, de sifers ferskowe. As hja allinne prate, feroaret neat.
De yndustry dy't winst makket mei ultra-ferwurke fiedsel profitearret ek fan obesitaskampanjes, wat fan belang is foar elkenien dy't folget wêr't it jild hinne giet. Bedriuwen ferkeapje sawol it rommeliten as de fitnessabonnementen en dieetplannen bedoeld om de skea te ferstellen. Folkssûnens wurdt in ferkeapkanaal ynstee fan in echte oanset om gedrach te feroarjen. In bern wurdt net obees om't him motivaasje ûntbrekt. Hy wurdt obees om't syn karren beheind binne.
De echte test komt no. Oerheden kinne nochris 20 miljard euro útjaan oan nije kampanjes dy't bern sizze sûner te wêzen. Of hja kinne ferwurke fiedsel belaastje, subsydzjes foar yndustriële lânbou ôfskaffe en steden opnij ûntwerpe sadat rinnen en fytsen logysk binne. It earste kostet in bytsje en lost neat op. It twadde fereasket macht. Sjoch mar hokker opsje hja kieze.
The World Health Organization released data last month showing that 19 percent of children in OECD countries now carry excess weight, up from 11 percent in 2020. In the Netherlands, the figure stands at 17 percent, double the rate of 1990. Schools run gym programs, health ministries distribute posters about balanced diets, and social media fills with influencers promoting fitness routines. Yet the children grow heavier, not lighter.
Where the campaigns fail is obvious to anyone who walks through a supermarket or a city block. A kilogram of frozen vegetables costs three times more than a kilogram of processed snacks. Urban planning keeps playgrounds small and pushing them to the edges of neighborhoods, while fast food restaurants cluster near schools. The campaigns tell children to eat better and move more. The environment tells them the opposite.
Governments spent an estimated 12 billion euros across Europe on obesity prevention programs between 2020 and 2025. Most of that money went to advertising, school curricula, and mobile apps that count calories. Very little touched the price of food or the design of towns. Studies show that when governments actually subsidize fresh produce or build cycling infrastructure, numbers shift. When they only talk, nothing changes.
The industry that profits from ultra-processed food also profits from obesity campaigns, which is worth noting for anyone watching where the money flows. Companies sell both the junk and the gym memberships and the diet plans meant to fix the damage. Public health becomes a sales channel rather than a genuine effort to change behavior. A child does not become obese because he lacks motivation. He becomes obese because his choices are constrained.
The real test comes now. Governments can spend another 20 billion euros on new campaigns that tell children to be healthier. Or they can tax processed food, cut subsidies to industrial agriculture, and redesign cities so walking and cycling make sense. The first costs little and solves nothing. The second requires power. Watch which one they choose.
Published May 20, 2026 · Frisian News · Ljouwert, Fryslân