Roundtable on Obesity Solutions – författare

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine''s Roundtable on Obesity Solutions convened a three-part workshop series that explored how structural racism, weight bias and stigma, and health communication intersect with obesity, gaps in the evidence base, and challenges and opportunities for long-term, systems-wide strategies needed to reduce the incidence and prevalence of obesity.

Through diverse examples across different levels and sectors of society, the workshops explored how to leverage the connections between these three drivers and innovative data-driven and policy approaches to inform actionable priorities for individuals, organizations, and policymakers to make lasting systems change.

For the first time in decades, promising news has emerged regarding efforts to curb the obesity crisis in the United States. Obesity rates have fallen among low-income children in 18 states, the prevalence of obesity has plateaued among girls, regardless of ethnicity, and targeted efforts in states such as Massachusetts have demonstrably reduced the prevalence of obesity among children. Although the reasons for this turnaround are as complex and multifaceted as the reasons for the dramatic rise in obesity rates in recent decades, interventions to improve nutrition and increase physical activity are almost certainly major contributors. Yet major problems remain. Diseases associated with obesity continue to incur substantial costs and cause widespread human suffering. Moreover, substantial disparities in obesity rates exist among population groups, and in some cases these disparities are widening. Some groups and regions are continuing to experience increases in obesity rates, and the prevalence of severe obesity is continuing to rise.

The Current State of Obesity Solutions in the United States is the summary of a workshop convened in January 2014 by the Institute of Medicine Roundtable on Obesity Solutions to foster an ongoing dialogue on critical and emerging implementation, policy, and research issues to accelerate progress in obesity prevention and care. Representatives of public health, health care, government, the food industry, education, philanthropy, the nonprofit sector, and academia met to discuss interventions designed to prevent and treat obesity. The workshop focused on early care and education, schools, worksites, health care institutions, communities and states, the federal government, and business and industry. For each of these groups, this report provides an overview of current efforts to improve nutrition, increase physical activity, and reduce disparities among populations.

Obesity affects 17 percent of children and adolescents and almost 36 percent of adults in the United States. Conservative estimates suggest that obesity now accounts for almost 20 percent of national health care spending. Until the obesity epidemic is reversed, obesity will continue to drive rates of chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer.

Cross-Sector Responses to Obesity is a summary of a workshop convened by the Institute of Medicine Roundtable on Obesity Solutions in September 2014 to explore models of cross-sector work that may reduce the prevalence and consequences of obesity. This report identifies case studies of cross-sector initiatives that engage partners from diverse fields, and lessons learned from and barriers to established cross-sector initiatives.

In 2008, the U.S. federal government issued fully approved physical activity guidelines for the first time. The idea that physical activity impacts health can be traced as far back as Hippocrates, and the science around the linkages between physical activity and health has continuously accumulated. On April 14-15, 2015, the Institute of Medicine’s Roundtable on Obesity Solutions held a 2-day workshop to explore the state of the science regarding the impact of physical activity in the prevention and treatment of overweight and obesity and to highlight innovative strategies for promoting physical activity across different segments of the population. This report summarizes the presentations and discussions from this workshop.

Among the many troubling aspects of the rising prevalence of obesity in the United States and elsewhere in recent years, the growth of early childhood overweight and obesity stands out. To explore what is known about effective and innovative interventions to counter obesity in young children, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine''s Roundtable on Obesity Solutions held a workshop in October 2015. The workshop brought together many of the leading researchers on obesity in young children to describe the state of the science and potential solutions based on that research. Participants explored sustainable collaborations and new insights into the implementation of interventions and policies, particularly those related to nutrition and physical activity, for the treatment and prevention of obesity in young children. Obesity in the Early Childhood Years summarizes the presentations and discussions from the workshop.

After decades of increases in the obesity rate among U.S. adults and children, the rate recently has dropped among some populations, particularly young children. What are the factors responsible for these changes? How can promising trends be accelerated? What else needs to be known to end the epidemic of obesity in the United States?

To examine these and other pressing questions, the Roundtable on Obesity Solutions, of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, held a workshop in September 2016. The workshop brought together leaders from business, early care and education, government, health care, and philanthropy to discuss the most promising approaches for the future of obesity prevention and treatment. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussions from the workshop.

The Roundtable on Obesity Solutions of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine held a workshop in Washington, DC, on April 6, 2017, titled The Challenge of Treating Obesity and Overweight: A Workshop. The discussions covered treatments for obesity, overweight, and severe obesity in adults and children; emerging treatment opportunities; the development of a workforce for obesity treatments; payment and policy considerations; and promising paths to move forward. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussions from the workshop.

The built environment—the physical world made up of the homes, buildings, streets, and infrastructure within which people live, work, and play—underwent changes during the 20th and 21st centuries that contributed to a sharp decline in physical activity and affected access to healthy foods. Those developments contributed in turn to the weight gain observed among Americans in recent decades. Many believe, therefore, that policies and practices that affect the built environment could affect obesity rates in the United States and improve the health of Americans.

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine convened a workshop in September 2017 to improve understanding of the roles played by the built environment in the prevention and treatment of obesity and to identify promising strategies in multiple sectors that can be scaled up to create more healthful and equitable environments. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussions from the workshop.

Obesity and overweight pose significant challenges to the armed forces in the United States, affecting service members (including active duty, guard, and reserve components), veterans, retirees, and their families and communities. The consequences of obesity and overweight in the armed forces influence various aspects of its operations that are critical to national security.

On May 7, 2018, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, held a workshop titled "Understanding and Overcoming the Challenge of Obesity and Overweight in the Armed Forces." Speakers examined how obesity and overweight are measured in the armed forces and how they affect recruitment, retention, resilience, and readiness; discussed service-specific issues related to these problems and highlighted innovative strategies to address them through improved nutrition, physical activity, and stress management; and offered perspectives from outside of the armed forces on approaches to prevent and treat obesity. They also discussed the challenges and opportunities related to overcoming the concerns posed by obesity and overweight in the armed forces, military families, and their communities, including potential cross-sector opportunities. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussions from the workshop.

The increasing prevalence and burden of obesity transcends borders, straining populations worldwide. Data shows that 50 million girls, 74 million boys, 390 million women, and 281 million men were estimated to have obesity in 2016 (NCD-RisC, 2017).

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine convened a workshop on October 9, 2018 to address the status of the global obesity pandemic and discuss diverse approaches to manage this problem. Speakers examined the collective prevalence, costs, and drivers of obesity around the world using cross-cultural comparisons. Panels and group discussions emphasized the need to reduce disparities in prevention and treatment efforts and to generate new policy and system initiatives related to nutrition and physical activity worldwide. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussions from the workshop.

The obesity crisis in the United States disproportionately affects some demographic groups more than others. Contextual influences on obesity are complex and include an individual''s weight-related behaviors and outcomes, the intermediate variables that influence these behaviors and outcomes, and broader, upstream historical, social, economic, physical, and policy contexts.

The National Academies convened a workshop on April 1, 2019 to explore the history of health equity issues in demographic groups that have above-average obesity risk and to consider principles and approaches to address these issues as part of obesity prevention and treatment efforts. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussions from the workshop.

On September 16, 2019, the Roundtable on Obesity Solutions of the Health and Medicine Division of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, held a public workshop, Advancing Effective Obesity Communications, in Washington, DC. The workshop explored effective communication of obesity-related issues by providing an overview of the current communications environment and addressing the complexity of identifying key audiences and developing targeted messages. Speakers discussed communications strategies to reach specific intermediary audiences, such as the public, decision makers, and policy makers. The workshop also explored challenges in communicating about obesity issues, which include aligning the intended meaning of messages with an individual''s perception of and response to those messages, addressing obesity bias and stigma through communications, and addressing misinformation. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussions that occurred at the workshop.

A virtual workshop titled Integrating Systems and Sectors Toward Obesity Solutions, held April 6, 2020 (Part I), and June 30, 2020 (Part II), was convened by the Roundtable on Obesity Solutions, Health and Medicine Division, National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The workshop introduced the concept of complex systems and the field of systems science, and explored systems science approaches to obesity solutions. Speakers provided an overview of systems science theories, approaches, and applications, highlighting examples from within and outside the obesity field. Presentations and discussions examined complex systems in society that have the potential to shape public health and well-being, and considered opportunities for systems change as they relate to obesity solutions. Specifically, the workshop explored factors that can influence obesity - such as (in)equity, relationships, connections, networks, capacity, power dynamics, social determinants, and political will - and how these factors can impact communications and cross-sector collaboration to address obesity. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussion of the workshop.

The Roundtable on Obesity Solutions of The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine held a virtual workshop on September 16, 2020 titled Using Systems Applications to Inform Obesity Solutions. It explored various systems science approaches (i.e., methodologies and tools) and support structures that could guide future obesity research and action, and featured examples of how these approaches can inform decision making within policy and program areas. Workshop speakers discussed the support structures (e.g., data sources, modeling expertise, training, and partnerships and collaborations) that encourage and engage researchers and decision makers to use systems science approaches to better understand the causes of and solutions to the obesity epidemic. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussions from the workshop.

The National Academies Roundtable on Obesity Solutions hosted an April, July, and October, 2022 workshop series to explore the gaps in knowledge within the foundational drivers of obesity. Facilitating action will require improved health communication, deconstructing structural racism, and recognizing the biased mental models and social norms at odds with obesity solutions. Speakers discussed future research in evidence-based solutions and potential ways to translate current evidence into practice. This Proceedings of a Workshop summarizes the discussions held during the workshop.

The National Academies Roundtable on Obesity Solutions hosted a public workshop series in April and June 2023 that explored the current science on measures of body composition and body fat distribution. Discussions focused on the strengths and limitations, and clinical and anthropological perspectives of body mass index (BMI) as a measure of adiposity and health. Presentations also shed light on the connection between misinformation and bias and stigma, as well as challenged current communication strategies to improve messaging about obesity.

The National Academies Roundtable on Obesity Solutions hosted a public workshop in March 2024 to explore the current understanding of pharmacotherapy for overweight or obesity, the effects of medications intended for obesity and obesity-related comorbidities, and how complementary treatment options (such as nutrition and behavioral interventions) advance obesity care in conjunction with medication use. Speakers took care to highlight lived experiences, existing weight bias and stigma, and implications of pharmacotherapy on health policy, economics, access, clinical practice, and public health.