Obesity Program Reports

Texas Reports

• A Report to the Legislature from the Interagency Obesity Council  (2015) (PDF, 787 KB) The Interagency Obesity Council, comprised of the Texas Department of Agriculture, the Texas Department of State Health Services, and the Texas Education Agency, describes their work in providing leadership on obesity prevention to schools, communities, healthcare providers, and the public through a variety of programs and initiatives. Recommends strategies on the community and policy level for better nutrition and more physical activity.
• The Hefty Price Tag of Obesity in Texas (2014) (PDF, 2.67 MB) A special report from the former Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts illustrates how severe the costs of obesity are for employers and provides estimates of both direct (health care) and indirect costs (employee absenteeism, lost productivity, and disability) to Texas employers. 
• Texas Obesity Policy Portfolio (2006) (PDF, 3.39 MB), by the Center for Policy Innovation at the Texas Department of State Health Services, describes the financial burden and policy options, and costs for these policy options for changing the course of the obesity epidemic in Texas which were developed by the Texas Obesity Study Group in 2003.
• The Burden of Overweight and Obesity in Texas, 2000-2040 (PDF, 211 KB) Report conducted by DSHS in partnership with Texas Department of Agriculture that reveals the cost projections through 2040 for obesity-related illnesses and complications.
• Early Childhood Health and Nutrition Interagency Council Report  (2012, 2014, 2016) is published every 2 years and describes state agency and stakeholder efforts toward increasing fruit and vegetable intake, increasing physical activity, and supporting breastfeeding for children age 0-5 years. 
• Texas Department of Agriculture Reports to the Legislature  include reports related to the Farmer’s Market Nutrition Program, Summer Food Service Program, Farm-to-School Task Force, the Healthy Foods Advisory Committee, and School Breakfast Program. 
  
  

National Reports

Obesity

• Bending the Obesity Cost Curve  (2012),  by Trust for America’s Health, predicts BMI-related health costs through 2030 and describes investments in reducing obesity.
• Promising Strategies for Creating Healthy Eating and Active Living Environments (2008), by the Prevention Institute on behalf of the Healthy Eating Active Living Convergence Partnership, describes environmental and policy approaches to improving health. Promising Strategies was created with input from diverse stakeholders and constituencies from the fields of public health, sustainable food systems, economic development, transportation, planning, and climate change who are engaged in accelerating and supporting the movement for healthier communities.
• The State of Obesity: Better Policies for a Healthier America is an interactive report of Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation that is describes national obesity rates, behavioral trends, and national policies and practices, and policy recommendations.  For reports from prior years, formerly titled “F as in Fat,” visit http://healthyamericans.org/reports/
• Accelerating Progress in Obesity Prevention  (2012), by the Institute of Medicine, builds on the 2006 Progress in Preventing Childhood Obesity: How Do We Measure Up?  and the 2005 report, Preventing Childhood Obesity: Health in the Balance  and offers recommendations, strategies, and action steps for implementation by key stakeholders and sectors.
  
  

School Food

• HHFKA Implementation Research Brief Series  (2016), by the USDA, is a series of research briefs on best practices in School Food Authorities’ implementation of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010
• Nutrient and Food Group Analysis of USDA Foods in Five of its Food and Nutrition Programs  (2014), by USDA, is a study that estimates the Healthy Eating Index (HEI) scores for five USDA child nutrition programs.
• Nutrition Standards for Foods in Schools: Leading the Way toward Healthier Youth  Report of the Institute of Medicine (2007) reviews and makes recommendations about appropriate nutritional standards for the availability, sale, content, and consumption of foods at school, with attention to competitive foods.
  
  

Food Marketing

• A Review of Food Marketing to Children and Adolescents  (2012), by the Federal Trade Commission, is a follow-up to the 2008 report which was requested by Congress and due to concerns about childhood obesity.
• Recommendations for Responsible Food Marketing to Children  (2015), by Healthy Eating Research, defines what constitutes advertising and marketing directed at children.
• Food Marketing to Children and Youth: Threat or Opportunity?  (2005), by the Institute of Medicine, provides a comprehensive review to date of the scientific evidence on the influence of food marketing on diets and diet-related health of children and youth. 
  
  

Physical Activity

• The State Indicator Report on Physical Activity, (2014) by the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion presents information on physical activity behaviors and policies that encourage and support physical activity in states.
• The 2014 United States Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth http://www.physicalactivityplan.org/reportcard/NationalReportCard_longform_final%20for%20web.pdf
• Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans Midcourse Report: Strategies to Increase Physical Activity Among Youth (2013) by President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition and PAG Subcommittee is intended to identify interventions that can help increase physical activity in youth across a variety of settings.
• 1996 Physical Activity and Health: A Report of the Surgeon General (1996), by US Department of Health and Human Services was the first Surgeon General's report to address physical activity and health. http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/sgr/contents.htm
  
  
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