Table 1 Family-Individual-School-based comprehensive interventions for combating obesity

Health education

Providing “Happy Exercise, Healthy Diet [22]” proposals to parents (see additional file 1).

Encouraging parental participation in obesity-related lectures.

Providing students with a book named “How to Avoid Obesity: Happy Exercise, Healthy Diet” [23] and lectures about reasonable diets and healthy exercise.

Health education courses once a month, and obesity-related health knowledge dissemination through posters, wall newspapers, radio, electronic screens, and websites.

Diet activity

Providing information to parents about reasonable diets, instructing parents about healthy dietary habits in children according to Chinese dietary guidelines (see additional file 2).

Encouraging students to consume at least 300-500 g of vegetables and 200-400 g of fruits per day, with a target meat intake of 80-110 g per day that can be adjusted based on energy consumption; not consume sugary drinks.

Providing purified water to students and prohibiting unhealthy snacks and sugary drinks from entering the classroom.

Physical activity

Providing information to parents about aerobic exercise; encouraging them to promote healthy exercise in their children (see additional file 3).

Encouraging students to control TV and computer usage for less than two hours per day and perform medium or high intensity exercise one hour per day.

Carrying out “Sunshine Sports Activities” through utilizing big break between classes and promising physical exercise one hour per day.