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.

Contents

• The National Academies of SCIENCES • ENGINEERING • MEDICINE
• PLANNING COMMITTEE ON ADVANCING OBESITY SOLUTIONS THROUGH INVESTMENTS IN THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT
• ROUNDTABLE ON OBESITY SOLUTIONS
• Reviewers
• 1. Introduction
  • OVERVIEW OF THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT
  • ORGANIZATION OF THIS PROCEEDINGS
• 2. The Built Environment, Obesity, and Health
  • A FRAMEWORK FOR INTERVENTIONS
  • TRANSPORTATION AND LAND USE
  • FOOD AND NUTRITION ENVIRONMENTS
• 3. Examples from Communities and Cities
  • HEALTHY COMMUNITIES IN NORTH CAROLINA
  • REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION PLANNING IN TENNESSEE
  • PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IN MONTANA
  • DISCUSSION
• 4. Achieving Equitable Healthy Environments
  • PROVIDING ALL CHILDREN WITH OPPORTUNITIES TO PLAY
  • COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IN ALAMEDA COUNTY
  • DEVELOPING HEALTHY COMMUNITIES
  • DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES FOR EQUITY
  • DISCUSSION
• 5. Considerations and Potential Opportunities for Communities and Organizations
  • UNDERSTANDING AND MEETING THE NEEDS OF COMMUNITIES
  • EVALUATING IMPACT
  • COMMUNICATING WITH STAKEHOLDERS
  • BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS
  • OVERCOMING BARRIERS
  • CLOSING THOUGHTS
• 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. 2018. Advancing obesity solutions through investments in the built environment: Proceedings of a workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: https://doi.org/10.17226/25074.