Childhood obesity and chronic disease rates have reached epidemic proportions, but policy responses remain focused on individual health promotion rather than environmental change. This paper reveals the limitations of the current response, the Minimal Public Health (MPH) approach, due to its moral and political foundations. The foundations of the MPH rest upon the problematic liberal public/private divide. Furthermore, the MPH neglects to recognize the legal obligations and implications of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Additionally, children’s entitlements to care extend beyond the provision of basic necessities and demand high standards of nutrition and physical activity to ensure equal and just developmental outcomes. Finally, obesity and chronic disease may limit children’s ability to participate in practices of meaningful citizenship. As a result of its foundations, the MPH is inherently flawed and an alternative public health paradigm must be developed to effectively address childhood obesity and chronic disease.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:uvic.ca/oai:dspace.library.uvic.ca:1828/1040 |
| Date | 31 July 2008 |
| Creators | Purcell, Megan |
| Contributors | Macleod, Colin |
| Source Sets | University of Victoria |
| Language | English, English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Rights | Available to the World Wide Web |
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