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.

Contents

• The National Academies of SCIENCES • ENGINEERING • MEDICINE
• PLANNING COMMITTEE ON DRIVING ACTION AND PROGRESS ON OBESITY PREVENTION AND TREATMENT—A WORKSHOP
• ROUNDTABLE ON OBESITY SOLUTIONS
• Reviewers
• 1. Obesity Trends and Workshop Overview
  • U.S. TRENDS AND PREVALENCE
  • CHILDHOOD OBESITY TRENDS
  • IMPROVED MONITORING
  • THEMES OF THE WORKSHOP
• 2. Two Decades of Obesity Prevention and Treatment
  • THE HISTORY OF AN EPIDEMIC
  • THE PERSISTENCE OF DISPARITIES
  • PARALLELS WITH TOBACCO CONTROL
  • THE CAMPAIGN FOR WALKING
  • MAINTAINING MOMENTUM
• 3. Early Care and Education
  • OPPORTUNITIES IN EARLY CARE AND EDUCATION
  • PROGRESS AND CHALLENGES AT THE STATE LEVEL
  • INCLUDING THE VOICES OF PROVIDERS
• 4. Business
  • THE HEALTHY WEIGHT COMMITMENT FOUNDATION
  • THE NATIONAL BUSINESS GROUP ON HEALTH
  • PARTNERSHIP FOR A HEALTHIER AMERICA
  • THE HEALTH MEANS BUSINESS CAMPAIGN
  • ADDRESSING DISPARITIES
• 5. Physical Activity
  • INTERVENTIONS TO INCREASE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
  • THE IMPORTANCE OF MULTIPLE APPROACHES
  • TRANSLATING RESEARCH TO PRACTICE
  • WALKING AND WALKABILITY
  • BUILDING IN EQUITY
  • THE ROLE OF COMMUNITIES
• 6. Treatment Challenges
  • NEW TREATMENTS
  • THE LACK OF PROVIDERS
  • BEYOND HEALTH CARE
• 7. Roles of the U.S. Department of Agriculture
  • INCREASING ACCESS TO HEALTHY FOODS
  • CHANGING DEMAND
  • MATCHING SUPPLY WITH DEMAND
  • UNDERTAKING TECHNOLOGY AND RESEARCH INITIATIVES
  • MAINTAINING MOMENTUM
• 8. The Roles of Foundations
  • CREATING A MOVEMENT
  • FINDING THE INTERSECTIONS BETWEEN SOCIETAL FACTORS AND OUTCOMES
  • ATTACKING POVERTY
  • FOSTERING A CULTURE OF HEALTH
  • REASONS FOR HOPE
• References
• APPENDIXES
  • A. Workshop Agenda
  • B. Acronyms and Abbreviations
  • C. Speaker and Facilitator Biographies

Rapporteur: Steve Olson.

Suggested citation:

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2017. Driving Action and Progress on Obesity Prevention and Treatment: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/24734.