Strategic Plan for NIH Obesity Research”, a multi-dimensional research agenda to
enhance both the development of new research in areas of
greatest scientific opportunity and the coordination of
obesity research across NIH, released.
“We are pleased about this focused effort to identify
research opportunities in obesity. We are especially
concerned about the serious problems we see emerging in
overweight children. Many of these are problems that we
used to see only in adults,” said Zerhouni.
HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson has targeted obesity as a
major priority of the Department. “There is no doubt that
obesity is an epidemic that must be stopped. This plan
gives us a clear focus for confronting obesity with
science-based research approaches,” Thompson said.
Emphasizing the importance of cross-cutting investigations,
the plan calls for interdisciplinary research teams to
bridge the study of behavioral and environmental causes of
obesity with the study of genetic and biologic causes.
Lifestyle interventions could be improved through a greater
understanding of genetic and biologic aspects and vice
versa. Also, successful prevention and treatment of obesity
may require a combination of behavioral, environmental and
medical approaches in highly susceptible individuals.
The Plan calls for intensifying efforts along several
fronts:
— Behavioral and environmental approaches to modifying
lifestyle to prevent or treat obesity
— Pharmacologic, surgical and other medical approaches to
effectively and safely prevent or treat obesity
— Breaking the link between obesity and diseases such as
type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and certain cancers
— Research on special populations at high risk for
obesity, including children, ethnic minorities, women and
older adults
— Translating basic science results into clinical research
and then into community intervention studies
— Disseminating research results to the public and health
professionals.