Overview
Obesity is a risk factor for various types of cancer and for other chronic diseases and conditions such as type II diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease and stroke. Obesity prevalence in the United States has risen substantially in the last 50 years, particularly since the early 1980s. Experiences with tobacco control and other public health initiatives suggest that public policy may be a powerful tool to improve diet and physical activity behavior at the population level.
Obesity Policy Research Funding Opportunities
BRP encourages investigator-initiated grant applications on this topic.
View other BRP, NCI, and NIH funding opportunities
On This Page
Selected Obesity Policy Research Projects
BRP's Health Behaviors Research Branch (HBRB) supports various initiatives in obesity policy research, including:
- Promoting research on diet and physical activity that may inform policymaking at local, state, or federal levels;
- Measurement of the food and physical activity environments; and
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Searchable database of diet and physical activity measures relevant to childhood obesity research
and User Guides to provide an overview of measurement and present case studies to guide how to select appropriate measures (in collaboration with the National Collaborative on Childhood Obesity Research).
Obesity Policy Resources
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Classification of Laws Associated with School Students (C.L.A.S.S.)
Resource developed by the Behavioral Research Program in NCI's Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences to provide policy classification systems for the state physical education and recess and school nutrition environments. -
Dietary Assessment Research Resources
Compilation of links to data collection resources, diet analysis resources, and instruments for monitoring the American diet, including the Dietary Assessment Primer and the National Collaborative on Childhood Obesity Research (NCCOR) Measures Registry. -
Nutrition Evidence Systematic Review (NESR)
The NESR specializes in conducting food- and nutrition-related systematic reviews to inform nutrition policy and programs. NESR evaluates, synthesizes, and grades research using rigorous and transparent methodology to define the state of food and nutrition-related science.
Public Resources
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Obesity and Cancer Risk Fact Sheet
Fact sheet from NCI summarizing what is known about the relationship between obesity and cancer and describing research supported by NCI on obesity and cancer risk. -
2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) jointly publish the Dietary Guidelines every 5 years.