Causal Loop On Childhood Obesity EnlargeChildhood obesity: how absence from school becomes a weight problemCausal loop diagram of 33 variables and 72 links. The ten most central variables run along a rising diagonal, with the variables that drive each one placed beneath it. Childhood obesity is the most central: it lies on three in five of the shortest paths between other variables and on 11 of the 12 reinforcing loops. Nine policy levers are marked with an ochre ring.PandemicschoolclosuresPandemicschoolclosuresLabelling andfamily foodliteracyLabelling andfamily foodliteracySchool foodstandardsSchool foodstandardsSoft drinkslevy andregulationSoft drinkslevy andregulationProductreformulationProductreformulationPE premium,breakfastclubs, activetravelPE premium,breakfastclubs, activetravelPublic concernand politicalpressurePublic concernand politicalpressureNHS cost ofobesity-relatedillnessNHS cost ofobesity-relatedillnessMetabolic andorgan damageMetabolic andorgan damageAvailabilityand marketingof junk foodAvailabilityand marketingof junk foodUnregulatedhome foodexposureUnregulatedhome foodexposureExposure toregulatedschool foodExposure toregulatedschool foodCalorie andsugar intakeCalorie andsugar intakeChildhoodobesityChildhoodobesityPain,breathlessnessand sleepapnoeaPain,breathlessnessand sleepapnoeaSleep quantityand qualitySleep quantityand qualityScreen timeand sedentaryleisureScreen timeand sedentaryleisureSchoolattendanceSchoolattendanceAccess toaffordablehealthy foodAccess toaffordablehealthy foodIsolation fromcommunity lifeIsolation fromcommunity lifePhysicalactivityPhysicalactivityHouseholddeprivationHouseholddeprivationAppetitedysregulationand comforteatingAppetitedysregulationand comforteatingChronic stressand cortisolChronic stressand cortisolDepression,anxiety andtraumaDepression,anxiety andtraumaEarlyidentificationand referralEarlyidentificationand referralSchool nursingand in-schoolhealthservicesSchool nursingand in-schoolhealthservicesBullying andweight stigmaBullying andweight stigmaSelf-esteemand confidenceSelf-esteemand confidenceFamily routineand whole-needssupportFamily routineand whole-needssupportSpecialistclinic capacitySpecialistclinic capacityGLP-1 weight-lossmedicationGLP-1 weight-lossmedicationReliance on aquick fixReliance on aquick fixLEAST CENTRALLEAST CENTRALMOST CENTRALMOST CENTRALNODE SIZE AND TONE = BETWEENNESSLINK WIDTH AND TONE = EDGE BETWEENNESSLINK STYLE0.0000.0410.593policy lever0.0010.0330.295Node tone and link tone run on separate scales.moves in the same direction (+)moves in the opposite direction (−)effect arrives after a delayBetweenness computed here (Brandes, directed, unweighted). The 19 loops are the model’s named set among 581 cycles. The source records no delays, so none are shown — that is missing data, not absence of delay.Childhood obesity lies on three in five of the shortest paths between other variables and on 11 of the 12 reinforcing loops — the weight problem is the main channel through which this system feeds itself.