General Information and Resources
Centers for Disease Control Overweight and Obesity InformationDHHS. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Overweight and obesity related resources, statistic, trends, prevention efforts, research and more from CDC.
Diseases and Conditions Index: What Are Overweight and Obesity?DHHS. NIH. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
Defines overweight and obesity, and discusses their causes, risks, treatments, prevention and more.
Obesity, Physical Activity, and Weight Control GlossaryDHHS. NIDDK. Weight-control Information Network.
Defines words often used when people talk or write about obesity, physical activity, and weight control; written for people who are overweight or obese, or interested in learning more about these.
Nutrition and Weight Status - Healthy People 2020
Department of Health and Human Services.
Healthy People 2020 - provides an overview of the Nutrition and Weight Status topic area, as well as objectives and data, and evidence-based resources.
The Surgeon General's Vision for a Healthy and Fit NationDHHS. Office of the Surgeon General.
Discusses plans to help Americans lead healthier lives through better nutrition, regular physical activity, and improving communities to support healthy choices.
Weight-control Information NetworkDHHS. NIDDK. Weight-control Information Network.
Provides the general public, health professionals, the media, and Congress with up-to-date, science-based information on weight control, obesity, physical activity, and related nutritional issues.
Obesity Fact SheetsThe Obesity Society.
Five facts sheets that provide current information on obesity based on scientific research.
Statistics Related to Overweight and ObesityDHHS. NIH. NIDDK. Weight-control Information Network.
Statistics on the prevalence of overweight and obesity in the US, as well as disease, mortality, and economic costs.
U.S. Obesity Trends 1985-2012DHHS. CDC. National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.
Obesity trend data from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and maps from CDC's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS).
The Obesity SocietyThe Obesity Society.
Non-profit organization focused on changing public policy and perceptions about obesity.
Weight-loss Advertising: An Analysis of Current Trends (PDF | 1.5 Mb)Federal Trade Commission.
September 2002 report analyzing current trends in weight loss advertising.
Shape Up America! Healthy Weight for LifeShape Up America!
Non-profit organization committed to raising awareness of obesity as a health issue. Provides evidence-based information and guidance on weight management to the public, health care professionals, educators, policymakers and the media.
National Weight Control RegistryBrown Medical School. The National Weight Control Registry.
Largest prospective research investigation of long-term successful weight loss maintenance.
Sisters Together - Move More, Eat Better
DHHS. NIDDK. Weight-control Information Network.
National initiative designed to encourage Black women 18 and over to maintain a healthy weight by becoming more physically active and eating healthier foods.
LEAN Works!
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
LEAN stands for Leading Employees to Activity and Nutrition. Helps employers calculate the cost of obesity for their organization and develop tailored approaches to help control these costs through interventions such as fitness classes, lunchtime health education sessions, weight management programs, and more.
Voluntary Guidelines for Providers of Weight Loss Products or ServicesFTC. Bureau of Consumer Protection.
Consensus of voluntary consumer disclosure practices reached by a panel of weight management companies, weight loss professionals, and consumer protection groups.
The Paradox of Hunger and Obesity in America (PDF | 470 KB)Brandeis University. Center on Hunger and Poverty; Food Research & Action Center.
Health Risks of Obesity - Worse Than Smoking, Drinking, or PovertyRAND Corporation.
2002 Research Brief examines comparative effects of obesity, smoking, heavy drinking, and poverty on chronic health conditions and health expenditures.
Report: The Economics of Obesity: A Report on the Workshop Held at USDA's Economic Research ServiceUSDA. Economic Research Service.
Summary of the papers and the discussions presented at the May 2004 workshop.
Overweight and Obesity: Economic ConsequencesDHHS. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Estimated costs of obesity at national and state levels.
Contribution of Expanding Portion Sizes to the US Obesity EpidemicAmerican Public Health Association. American Journal of Public Health.
2002 study by Young and Nestle designed to weigh samples of marketplace foods, identify historical changes in the sizes of those foods, and compare current portions with federal standards.
FoodReview: Weighing In on ObesityUSDA. Economic Research Service.
US Per Capita Food Supply Trends: More Calories, Refined Carbohydrates, and Fats (PDF|151 KB) Patterns of Caloric Intake and Body Mass Index Among US Adults (PDF|121 KB)