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| Research article summary (published 29 Sep 2003): |
Pathways to obesity prevention: report of a National Institutes of Health workshop.
Full Abstract
There is an extensive research base on obesity treatment and on the health benefits of weight loss, but relatively little research has focused on obesity prevention. This article summarizes results of a workshop conducted by investigators funded under a National Institutes of Health initiative designed to stimulate novel research for obesity prevention. The 20 pilot studies funded under this initiative involved study populations that were diverse with respect to life stage and ethnicity, were conducted in a variety of natural and research settings, and involved a mix of interventions, including face-to-face group and individual counseling, as well as mail, telephone, and internet-based approaches. The workshop, which occurred approximately halfway through the 3-year funding period, emphasized concepts and experiences related to initiating and conducting obesity prevention studies. Investigators discussed theoretical perspectives as well as various challenges encountered, for example, in study implementation in different clinical and community settings, in working with children and families, and in studying pregnant and postpartum women. Other topics discussed included the difficulty of motivating individuals for prevention of weight gain, relevant cultural and racial/ethnic considerations, and the particular need for valid and practical measures of energy balance, body composition, and physical fitness in obesity prevention research. A key conclusion was that using obesity treatment as the primary paradigm may be a limiting perspective for considering obesity prevention issues. Further insights derived from the workshop deliberations are reflected in a detailed list of recommendations for future obesity prevention research.
Author information
Author/s: Kumanyika, Shiriki K (SK); Obarzanek, Eva (E);
Affiliation: Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA. skumayika(-atsign-)cceb.med.upenn.edu
Grants: R01 AG018238 (Agency:NIA NIH HHS) ; R01 AG018239 (Agency:NIA NIH HHS) ; R01 DK057439 (Agency:NIDDK NIH HHS) ; R01 DK057446 (Agency:NIDDK NIH HHS) ; R01 DK057453 (Agency:NIDDK NIH HHS) ; R01 DK057461 (Agency:NIDDK NIH HHS) ; R01 DK057476 (Agency:NIDDK NIH HHS) ; R01 DK057478 (Agency:NIDDK NIH HHS) ; R01 DK057486 (Agency:NIDDK NIH HHS) ; R01 DK057492 (Agency:NIDDK NIH HHS) ; R01 DK060433 (Agency:NIDDK NIH HHS) ; R01 DK57384 (Agency:NIDDK NIH HHS) ; R01 HD039102 (Agency:NICHD NIH HHS) ; R01 HD039103 (Agency:NICHD NIH HHS) ; R01 HD039104 (Agency:NICHD NIH HHS) ; R01 HL065132 (Agency:NHLBI NIH HHS) ; R01 HL065133 (Agency:NHLBI NIH HHS) ; R01 HL065144 (Agency:NHLBI NIH HHS) ; R01HL065134 (Agency:NHLBI NIH HHS)
Journal and publication information
Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.; Review
Journal: Obesity research (Obes Res), published in United States. (Language: eng)
Reference: 2003-Oct; vol 11 (issue 10) : pp 1263-74
Dates: Created 2003/10/21; Completed 2004/07/20; Revised 2007/11/14;
PMID: 14569052, status: MEDLINE (last retrieved date: 2/18/2009)
Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.
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