The Institute of Medicine (IOM) on Tuesday released a report, “Accelerating Progress in Obesity Prevention: Solving the Weight of the Nation,” that focuses on its five goals for preventing obesity. Those goalds include integrating physical activity into people’s daily lives; making healthy food and beverage options available everywhere; transforming marketing and messages about nutrition and activity; making schools a gateway to healthy weights; and galvanizing employers and health care professionals to support healthy lifestyles.
IOM in a press release highlighted specific strategies that the committee noted in the report, including: requiring at least 60 minutes per day of physical education and activity in schools; industry-wide guidelines on which foods and beverages can be marketed to children and how; expansion of workplace wellness programs; taking full advantage of physicians’ roles to advocate for obesity prevention with patients and in the community; and increasing the availability of lower-calorie, healthier children’s meals in restaurants.
A copy of the report and more information is available here.
