Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2013 Sep;2(3):200-210.
doi: 10.1007/s13679-013-0063-x.

Obesity Prevention Policies in U.S. States and Localities: Lessons from the Field

Jamie F Chriqui  1
Affiliations

Obesity Prevention Policies in U.S. States and Localities: Lessons from the Field

Jamie F Chriqui. Curr Obes Rep. 2013 Sep.

Abstract

Obesity is a complex problem requiring large-scale, population-based solutions. Public policy strategies have been identified as critical tools in obesity prevention efforts as they can benefit all who are exposed rather than simply changing individual behaviors one at a time. This paper reviews the peer-reviewed scientific U.S.-based literature published between January 2012 and March 2013 to examine the influence of state laws and local policies on changes to school and other environments, individual activity and nutrition-related behaviors, and obesity and weight outcomes. Virtually all recent studies have focused on policies directed at the school environment and, across-the board, the evidence was mixed. Most studies were cross-sectional, focused on policy implementation in schools and other settings rather than impacts on individual behaviors or obesity. Opportunities exist for impact studies focusing on a broader spectrum of policies as well as for continued policy actions at all levels of government.

Keywords: Obesity; policy impact; prevention; public policy; state and local governments.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest

Jamie F. Chriqui has been a consultant for Washington University, University of Minnesota, Danya International; and has been employed with University of Illinois at Chicago. He has also received honoraria from the NIH, USDA, Global Policy Solutions, Fund for Philadelphia, ICF Macro International, Johns Hopkins Global Center on Childhood Obesity. He has received payment for manuscript preparation from Healthy Eating Research at the University of Minnesota for a research synthesis on competitive food and beverage policies. He has received travel/accommodations expenses covered or reimbursed from the American Psychological Association, Institute of Medicine, NIH, Colgate Palmolive (for the International Association of Dental Research Annual meeting presentation)

References

    1. Katz DL. Childhood obesity trends in 2013: Mind, matter, and message. Child Obes. 2013;9:1–2. - PubMed
    1. Ogden CL, Carroll MD, Kit BK, et al. Prevalence of obesity in the United States, 2009–2010. http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db82.htm. Accessed 22 Mar. 2013. - PubMed
    1. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Declining childhood obesity rates–where are we seeing the most progress? http://www.rwjf.org/en/research-publications/find-rwjf-research/2012/09/.... Accessed 22 Mar. 2013.
    1. Cawley J, Meyerhoefer C. The medical care costs of obesity: An instrumental variables approach. J Health Econ. 2012;31:219–230. - PubMed
    1. Wang YC, McPherson K, Marsh T, et al. Health and economic burden of the projected obesity trends in the USA and the UK. Lancet. 2011;378:815–825. - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources