Resources

Obesity Resources

More than a third of U.S. adults are obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control. And in 2008, this epidemic cost the country an estimated $147 billion dollars. Obesity is a serious, and very new, public health challenge. If you work in healthcare, this is a situation that cannot be ignored. This collection of resources is intended to be a useful supplement for public health professionals and students struggling to get a grip on the obesity crisis in America.

Featured Online Programs

Open Access Journals

The highest-impact journals for obesity research charge a pretty penny to read their articles, but that doesn't mean there aren't some reputable open-access journals publishing solid research. Here are a few of the best.

  • Nutrition and Diabetes

    Publisher: Nature Publishing Group

    Perhaps no disease is more closely linked to obesity than type-2 diabetes. This high-impact journal looks at the latest hard science for understanding what we eat, our body weight, and disease.

  • Obesity Facts

    Publisher: Karger

    This free online journal publishes recent research mainly related to the medical side of obesity prevention and treatment, but also some nutritional and sociocultural studies.

  • Saudi Journal of Obesity

    Publisher: Medknow

    The official journal of the Saudi Arabia Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Medicine features some interesting research on the relationship between obesity and disease.

  • BMC Obesity

    Publisher: BioMed Central

    This online journal publishes freely available articles on all aspects of obesity prevention, reduction, and causes at the individual level.

OpenCourseWare

Why are so many people overweight in the developed world? Is it culture, backwards incentives, or genetics? Discover the best of what we know with these free course materials from the most prestigious universities.

  • The Psychology, Biology, and Politics of Food

    Eating is the number one cause of obesity, and this amusing set of video lectures from Yale examines why people eat differently and how their bodies react.

  • Principles of Human Nutrition

    These lectures and readings help you understand that it is not only how much you eat, but what you eat, that determines your weight and propensity for diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

  • Obesity Economics

    This set of lectures looks at the economic reasons behind obesity, from public policies to individual incentives and decision making.

  • Food and Nutritional Policy

    This collection of readings and lectures from Johns Hopkins examines how to address nutritional concerns at the community and policy level.

Research Organizations

With more and more children and millions of adults overweight in the United States, just about every major university conducts research into the causes and treatments of obesity. These are some of the largest federal and nonprofit research leaders.

  • The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

    One of the largest public health research and philanthropic organizations in the U.S., the RWJF dedicated $500 million toward reversing childhood obesity in 2007.

  • National Collaborative on Childhood Obesity Research

    This umbrella group brings together the nation's largest obesity research organizations, the CDC, the NIH, the Department of Agriculture, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. It seeks to address the obesity crisis in the United States.

  • NIH Obesity Research Task Force

    Given the prevalence of obesity in the U.S., almost all 27 of the federal National Institutes of Health conduct and fund obesity research. It is the job of the Obesity Research Task Force to coordinate this effort.

  • The Scripps Research Institute

    A leading biomedical research organization, this nonprofit conducts laboratory experiments with the goal of finding medicinal approaches to treating obesity.

  • RTI International

    One of the world's leading independent research institutes, RTI assists governments and organizations around the world with its research into the costs and approaches to obesity on a societal level.

Professional Organizations

Since over 200 million Americans are overweight or obese, public health professionals must organize to take on this challenge. These professional organizations help that happen.

Public Awareness Organizations

Few things can help reduce the burden of disease on society more than proper nutrition. That is why these organizations promote healthy eating, for healthier communities in the long run.

  • CARE

    A leading humanitarian organization, CARE works in 86 countries and supports 900 poverty reduction programs.

  • National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance

    Being overweight or obese is hard enough on your health, and that is not factoring in the stigma and ridicule that comes with it. The NAAFA has been working since 1969 to reduce negative perceptions of overweight people.

  • NCSM: Childhood Obesity Awareness Month

    With nearly one third of American children at risk of type-2 diabetes, the National College of Sports Medicine has designated September as the month to mobilize efforts locally and nationally.

  • National Institute for Children's Healthcare Quality: Be Our Voice

    With funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, this nonprofit organization mobilizes medical professionals and advocates for better public policy to combat childhood obesity.

  • President's Council on Fitness, Sport, and Nutrition

    With childhood and adult obesity costing the U.S. medical system billions of dollars, this federal initiative works through public and private partnerships to promote healthier eating and lifestyles.

  • Obesity Action Coalition

    With more than 50,000 active members nationwide, this organization supports people struggling with obesity and promotes an understanding of obesity as a disease.