Physical Activity: Moving Toward Obesity Solutions: Workshop Summary

Share On Social!

In April, 2015, the Institute of Medicine’s (IOM) Roundtable on Obesity Solutions held a 2-day workshop titled “Physical Activity: Moving Toward Obesity Solutions” to explore the role of physical activity in obesity prevention.

The expert panel summarized scientific evidence and discussed innovative strategies to promote physical activity at the policy, community, and institutional levels.

Promoting physical activity requires a culture change, similar to smoking cessation, which requires top-down (policy) and bottom-up (organizational) strategies across multiple societal sectors, such as healthcare, transportation/planning, parks/public spaces, worksite, and school. For example, policies across these sectors can improve access to physical activity opportunities, such as safe sidewalks and bike lanes; regulate quantity and quality of physical education in schools; provide funding for state and local programs; and coordinate state and local efforts to share information and resources.

Read Physical Activity: Moving Toward Obesity Solutions: Workshop Summary here.