Policy paper: “Nudging for better nutrition: behavioral strategies to address childhood obesity in Arab communities” policy recommendations for action

Introduction Childhood obesity is a growing public health crisis globally, particularly in Arab countries, due to changing dietary habits, sedentary lifestyles, and cultural factors. Prevention efforts focus on behavioral change strategies that promote healthy eating, physical activity, and sleep to balance energy intake and expenditure. However, the effectiveness of interventions remains uncertain, prompting ongoing research. Governments are increasingly addressing the issue through local and regional initiatives. Methodology This research employed a scoping review approach to systematically map the available literature on behavioral strategies addressing childhood obesity, with a focus on nudging interventions within Arab communities and similar contexts, Behavioral interventions were coded using the Capability, Opportunity, Motivation–Behavior (COM-B) model to assess how existing strategies address key behavioral determinants. Results The paper found that nudging is a soft intervention that can be easily incorporated into obesity programs and is not very costly. However, Key considerations include baseline assessments, socio-cultural aspects, multi-sectoral collaboration, and workforce capacity development in health promotion, leadership, and governance.