Obesity in America
Selected Research and Commentary
School Proximity Affects Physical Activity Among Middle School Girls — Jul. 16, 2006
Sixth grade girls who lived farther away from school tended to get less physical activity, with the most negatively affected girls living more than 5 miles from school. Time spent commuting could explain reduced time for physical activity.
Childhood Overweight and Elementary School Outcomes — Mar. 31, 2006
Becoming overweight during the first four years of school was strongly associated with lowered test scores among girls. Boys who became overweight had more absences from school compared to boys who remained normal weight.
Close-Knit Neighborhoods May Help Prevent Childhood Obesity— Feb. 9, 2006
Adolescents living in close-knit neighborhoods where adults provide social support - such as watching out for youngsters and seeking to correct their misbehavior - are half as likely to be overweight or nearly overweight as other children.
Food Prices Linked to Weight Gain in Children — Oct. 5, 2005
Young school-age children who live in communities where fruits and vegetables are expensive are more likely to gain excessive amounts of weight than children who live in areas where fruits and vegetables cost less.
Obese Breast Cancer Patients Are Often Undertreated — Jun. 15, 2005
Overweight women are 20 percent more likely than thin women to receive lower doses of chemotherapy than a size-based formula would indicate they need. Doctors concerned about administering high doses of chemotheraphy may lessen the dosage to avoid toxic side effects.
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Surgery More Effective than Diet and Exercise for Severely Obese People — Apr. 6, 2005
Weight loss surgery helps severely obese people lose more weight than dieting and exercise alone. People who undergo such surgery typically lose about 45 to 65 pounds and maintain their lower weight for 10 years or longer.
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Childhood Obesity—What We Can Learn From Existing Data on Societal Trends — Mar. 23 2005
The number of overweight and obese youth has increased in recent decades, and numerous theories on causes have been proposed. Yet almost no data are available to assess how the lives of children have changed during the “obesity epidemic.” This two-part report looks at recent trends.
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Suburban Sprawl Linked to Chronic Health Ailments — Sep. 27, 2004
Suburban sprawl is linked to the incidence of many chronic health ailments, according to the first study that analyzes suburban sprawl and a broad range of chronic health conditions.
Phys Ed Cuts Number of Overweight Young Girls — Aug. 27, 2004
Increasing physical education instruction in kindergarten and first grade by as little as one hour per week could reduce the number of overweight 5- and 6-year-old girls nationally by as much as 10 percent.
Cost for Obesity Growing Dramatically — Mar. 9, 2004
If obesity continues rising at its current rate in the U.S., by 2020 about one in five health care dollars spent on people ages 50-69 could be consumed by obesity-related medical problems.
Research Brief
News Release
Health and Health Care Research Area
Disability Rates Rise, Link to Obesity — Jan. 8, 2004
The obesity epidemic caused disability rates to rise sharply in the last two decades among Americans younger than 60, a trend that could have severe consequences for the nation’s future health costs.
The McLawsuit: The Fast-Food Industry and Legal Accountability for Obesity
Recent litigation brought by a group of overweight children against the McDonald's Corporation that seeks compensation for obesity-related health problems has provoked an intense public response. This paper considers the reasonableness of the claims against fast-food companies and discusses several social effects that the litigation may have irrespective of its outcome in court.
Childhood Overweight Status and Academic Performance
A national U.S. study of 11,192 kindergartners found that academic achievement in kindergarten and first grade are not directly associated with children's overweight status in kindergarten. In general, race/ethnicity and mother's education were stronger predictors of academic performance than children's overweight status.
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Document (January 2004)
Clinically Severe Obesity On the Rise in the U.S.
The proportion of Americans who suffer from clinically severe obesity -- defined as those who are 100 or more pounds overweight -- is rising twice as fast as the proportion of those who are simply obese.
Full
Document (October 2003)
Three of Five Adult Americans Are Overweight or Obese
This study examines the comparative effects of obesity, smoking, heavy drinking, and poverty on chronic health conditions and health expenditures. It finds that obesity is the most serious problem, linked to a increases in chronic health conditions and significantly higher health expenditures.
Full
Document (2002)
Are Americans Are Getting Fatter? Does It Matter?
A synthesis of RAND research on the health risks of obesity in America. Originally published as a resource for state and federal legislators.
Resources
for Congress (2002)
Health Talk: Obesity
Washington Post columnist Abigail Trafford discusses obesity and public health strategies to stem the epidemic with RAND's Roland Sturm.
Alternative Treatments for Weight-Loss
"Nontraditional" or "alternative" products are extremely popular for weight loss. This study reviews existing data on 18 products and methods advocated as potential anti-obesity or fat-reducing agents. None were found to be safe and effective in two or more peer-reviewed publications.
Full
Document (2001)
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