Institute of Medicine Report Lays Out Strategy for Fighting Obesity

May 8, 2012 — The Institute of Medicine (IOM) report, laid out today at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s "Weight of the Nation" conference, says the progress the U.S. has been making in fighting obesity has been too slow and that more drastic changes are required.According to the IOM, those changes include the following:

  1. Integrating physical activity into people’s daily lives
  2. Making healthy food and beverage items available everywhere
  3. Transforming marketing and messages about nutrition and activity
  4. Making schools a gateway to healthy weights
  5. Galvanizing employers and health care professionals to support healthy lifestyles.

The IOM report has been issued in conjunction with other events planned around "The Weight of the Nation" including a four-part documentary taking a critical look at the growing obesity crisis. You can read the press release from the IOM here, which also includes a link to the full report.