Open AccessSummary of the 2000 Surgeon General's Listening Session: Toward a National Action Plan on Overweight and Obesity
Author(s) -
Jackson Yvonne,
Dietz William H.,
Sanders Charlene,
Kolbe Lloyd J.,
Whyte John J.,
Wechsler Howell,
Schneider Bruce S.,
McNally Laura A.,
CharlesAzure Jean,
VogelTaylor Martina,
StarkeReed Pamela,
Hubbard Van S.,
JohnsonTaylor Wendy L.,
Troiano Richard P.,
Donato Karen,
Yanovski Susan,
Kuczmarski Robert J.,
Haverkos Lynne,
McMurry Kathryn,
Wykoff Randolph F.,
Woo Violet,
Noonan Allan S.,
Rowe Jonelle,
McCarty Kathy,
Spain Christine B.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
obesity research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1550-8528
pISSN - 1071-7323
DOI - 10.1038/oby.2002.176
Subject(s) - active listening , overweight , session (web analytics) , medicine , call to action , public health , obesity , action plan , surgeon general , public relations , family medicine , gerontology , medical education , psychology , political science , nursing , advertising , business , management , communication , economics
Objective: To provide insight into discussions at the Surgeon General's Listening Session, “Toward a National Action Plan on Overweight and Obesity,” and to complement The Surgeon General's Call to Action to Prevent and Decrease Overweight and Obesity . Research Methods and Procedures: On December 7 and 8, 2000, representatives from federal, state, academic, and private sectors attended the Surgeon General's Listening Session and were given an opportunity to recommend what to include in a national plan to address overweight and obesity. The public was invited to comment during a corresponding public comment period. The Surgeon General's Listening Session was also broadcast on the Internet, allowing others to view the deliberations live or access the archived files. Significant discussion points from the Listening Session have been reviewed by representatives of the federal agencies and are the basis of this complementary document. Results: Examples of issues, strategies, and barriers to change are discussed within five thematic areas: schools, health care, family and community, worksite, and media. Suggested cooperative or collaborative actions for preventing and decreasing overweight and obesity are described. An annotated list of some programmatic partnerships is included. Discussion: The Surgeon General's Listening Session provided an opportunity for representatives from family and community groups, schools, the media, the health‐care environment, and worksites to become partners and to unite around the common goal of preventing and decreasing overweight and obesity. The combination of approaches from these perspectives offers a rich resource of opportunity to combat the public health epidemic of overweight and obesity.