An agent-based simulation framework to analyze the prevalence of child obesity

Abstract

Child obesity is a public health problem that is of concern of several countries around the world. Long-term effects of child obesity include prevalence of chronic diseases, such as diabetes and heart-related illnesses. This paper presents an agent-based simulation framework to analyze the evolution of obesity in school-age children. In particular, in this paper we evaluate the impact of physical activity on the prevalence of child obesity using an agent-based simulation model. Simulation results suggest that the fraction of overweight and obese children at the end of elementary school can be reduced by doing physical activity with moderate intensity.