Nearly 34 Percent of U.S. adults and 17 percent of U.S. children are obese. Those living with obesity have increased risks of disability, disease, and premature death, as well as substantial health, economic, and social costs. This collection presents a fresh perspective about the causes, consequences, and potential solutions to the growing obesity epidemic by recommending obesity prevention actions, programs, and policies.
462 pagesAccelerating Progress in Obesity Prevention: Solving the Weight of the Nation (2012)
One-third of adults are now obese, and children's obesity rates have climbed from 5 to 17 percent in the past 30 years. The causes of the nation's obesity epidemic are multi-factorial, having much more to do with the absence of ...[more]
104 pagesLegal Strategies in Childhood Obesity Prevention: Workshop Summary (2011)
Since 1980, childhood obesity rates have more than tripled in the United States. Recent data show that almost one-third of children over 2 years of age are already overweight or obese. While the prevalence of childhood obesity appears to have ...[more]
336 pagesBridging the Evidence Gap in Obesity Prevention:A Framework to Inform Decision Making (2010)
To battle the obesity epidemic in America, health care professionals and policymakers need relevant, useful data on the effectiveness of obesity prevention policies and programs. Bridging the Evidence Gap in Obesity Prevention identifies a new approach to decision making and ...[more]
74 pagesAlliances for Obesity Prevention: Finding Common Ground: Workshop Summary (2012)
Many organizations are making focused efforts to prevent obesity. To achieve their goals, accelerate their progress, and sustain their success, the assistance of many other individuals and groups--not all of them with a singular focus on obesity prevention--will be essential. ...[more]
158 pagesMeasuring Progress in Obesity Prevention: Workshop Report (2012)
Nearly 69 percent of U.S. adults and 32 percent of children are either overweight or obese, creating an annual medical cost burden that may reach $147 billion. Researchers and policy makers are eager to identify improved measures of environmental and ...[more]
202 pagesEarly Childhood Obesity Prevention Policies (2011)
Childhood obesity is a serious health problem that has adverse and long-lasting consequences for individuals, families, and communities. The magnitude of the problem has increased dramatically during the last three decades and, despite some indications of a plateau in this ...[more]
140 pagesLocal Government Actions to Prevent Childhood Obesity (2009)
The prevalence of childhood obesity is so high in the United States that it may reduce the life expectancy of today's generation of children. While parents and other adult caregivers play a fundamental role in teaching children about healthy behaviors, ...[more]
436 pagesPreventing Childhood Obesity: Health in the Balance (2005)
Children's health has made tremendous strides over the past century. In general, life expectancy has increased by more than thirty years since 1900 and much of this improvement is due to the reduction of infant and early childhood mortality. Given ...[more]
494 pagesProgress in Preventing Childhood Obesity: How Do We Measure Up? (2007)
The remarkable increase in the prevalence of obesity among children and youth in the United States over a relatively short timespan represents one of the defining public health challenges of the 21st century. The country is beginning to recognize childhood ...[more]
112 pagesCommunity Perspectives on Obesity Prevention in Children:Workshop Summaries (2009)
As the public health threat of childhood obesity has become clear, the issue has become the focus of local, state, and national initiatives. Many of these efforts are centered on the community environment in recognition of the role of environmental ...[more]