ABSTRACT
The preceding chapters have documented the rapid increase in the global prevalence of obesity over a relatively short period of time, the pervasiveness of obesity promoting factors in our political, economic, physical and social environments, and the powerful influence that routine practices of daily life can have on diet and physical activity. At a population level the foods we eat and the way we move between the destinations of home, work, school and play have morphed enormously over recent decades. Foods are sweeter, more processed and energy dense and our built environments, designed to accommodate the motor vehicle, are discouraging walking and cycling and promoting car reliance. Trends in overweight and obesity first observed in industrialized countries are also emerging at an accelerating pace in many developing countries.
