Obesity Resources

May 2010

NCSL Links

• Obesity Statistics in the United States
• Childhood Obesity 50-state Map and Background Information
• Childhood obesity: Legislative policy approaches and the evidence base to date
• Childhood Obesity Policy Options - 2009
• Childhood Obesity Policy Options - 2008
• Childhood Obesity Policy Options - 2007
• Childhood Obesity Policy Options  - 2006
• Childhood Obesity Policy Options - 2005
• Promoting Healthy Communities and Reducing Childhood Obesity: Legislative options
• Healthy Communities: Food systems, healthy eating and physical activity
• Healthy Community Design Legislation Database
• Wellness Resources Overview
• Overview of Wellness Legislation
• Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
  
• Diabetes Health Coverage: State Laws and Programs
• Other Diabetes Legislation
• Heart Disease and Stroke: An overview of our nation's leading killer
• Food Stamp Rebates May Encourage Healthy Eating

Publications

• Promoting Healthy Communities and Reducing Childhood Obesity: Legislative Options (NCSL Report, March 2009) - This publication looks at how state policymakers are considering options to increase physical activity and healthy eating to help promote healthier communities and reduce childhood obesity.
• Growing Groceries in Food Deserts (Legisbrief, April/May 2010) - Access to healthy food is affected by price and availability, and residents in both rural and urban areas often lack easy access to stores that stock affordable, nutritious food.
• State Wellness Initiatives (Legisbrief, March 2010) - Initiatives to encourage disease prevention and promote health can help people obtain regular health screenings, get more physical activity, eat healthier food and cut tobacco use.
• Improving Child Nutrition (Legisbrief, February 2010) - Nutritious food helps children grow up healthy and ready to learn and sets the stage for better lifetime health. Long-standing evidence documents the developmental and cognitive benefits of adequate nutrition. Providing nutritious food for children also offers marketing opportunities for U.S. farmers.
• Physical Activity Guidelines (Legisbrief, February 2009) - Many strategies and policy options are available to states to encourage and increase regular physical activity, thus promoting good health and improving quality of life.
• School Wellness Policies (Legisbrief, 2008) - Schools can play a vital role in children's health, and local wellness policies now are required in nearly every school district. Several states have enacted legislation on wellness policies and nutrition education.
• State Farm to School Policies (Legisbrief, August/September 2008) - Statewide farm-to-school programs provide students with fresh food, increase their knowledge of nutrition and agriculture, and offer new markets for local agriculture.
• Body Mass Index Screening for Students (Legisbrief, November/December 2008) - Because obesity is a risk factor for many serious health conditions, some states are measuring students' body mass index to screen for weight categories that may cause health problems.
• Complete Streets (Legisbrief, November/December 2008) - The complete streets policy movement seeks to balance the needs of all users—including bicyclists, people with disabilities, drivers and pedestrians—in transportation project design. Roadways can be designed to be welcoming, safe and efficient.
• Diabetes: Rising Rates, Disability and Death (Legisbrief, October 2006) - Highlighs the recent increase in diabetes, as well as actions being taken at the state and federal levels.
• Treating Obesity (Legisbrief, Aug/Sep. 2005) - Discusses obesity costs to states, morbid obesity, obesity treatment, and state and federal action.
• Nutrition Rules  (State Legislatures magazine, May 2008) - Making healthy food choices available to school kids is a priority for many lawmakers.
  
• Encouraging Bicycling and Walking: The State Legislative Role (Report, 2008) - An NCSL report examines what states can and have done to encourage bicycling and walking as safe, convenient, and legitimate forms of transportation.
• Percentage of Children Who Are Obese (NCSL Postcard 2007)
• Obesity Among U.S. Adults (NCSL Postcard, 2005)

 

Other Resouces

• Solving the Problem of Childhood Obesity Within a Generation -  First Lady Michelle Obama joined Domestic Policy Council Director Melody Barnes and members of the Childhood Obesity Task Force to unveil the Task Force action plan in May 2010. In conjunction with the release of the action plan, Cabinet Members and Administration Officials will hold events across the country to highlight the importance of addressing childhood obesity (May 2010).
• National Physical Activity Plan - The Plan is a comprehensive set of policies, programs, and initiatives that aim to increase physical activity in all segments of the American population. It is the product of a private-public sector collaborative (May 2010).
• The Association Between School-Based Physical Activity, Including Physical Education, and Academic Performance - There is a growing body of research focused on the association between school-based physical activity, including physical education, and academic performance among school-aged youth. To better understand these connections, this review includes studies from a range of physical activity contexts, including school-based physical education, recess, classroom-based physical activity (outside of physical education and recess), and extracurricular physical activity. (CDC, April 2010).
• Health Affairs Highlights Key Research on Childhood Obesity - In its March 2010 issue, Health Affairs focuses almost exclusively on the childhood obesity epidemic and the policy approaches that could have greatest impact for helping to solve this public health crisis (Health Affairs, March 2010).
• US Surgeon General Releases Vision for a Healthy and Fit Nation 2010 - Looks at current obesity levels in the United States and prevention opportunities for all age groups (Surgeon General, January 2010).
• Early Assessment of Programs and Policies on Childhood Obesity - A Robert Wood Johnson Foundation two-year collaborative project to identify and assess local-level programs and policies that appear promising to improve the eating habits and physical activity levels of children (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, January 2009).
• Moving Into Action: Promoting Heart-Healthy and Stroke-Free Communities - A CDC publication for legislators addressing preventive activites to promote cardiovascular health.

For more information, contact: Amy Winterfeld, NCSL Staff Liaison.