Obesity Strategies: What Can Be Done

The federal government is:

• Studying what works in communities to make it easier for people to be more physically active and have a healthier diet.
• Monitoring trends in obesity and related risk factors.
• Developing and promoting guidelines on dietary patterns and amounts of physical activity needed for good health.
• Helping families with lower incomes get affordable, nutritious foods through programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and farm-to-education programs.
• Supporting children and families who are at higher risk for obesity through services at Federally Qualified Health Centers, Head Start, WIC, and other service agencies.
• Funding programs and providing training and resources for initiatives that promote healthy eating, food and nutrition security, and physical activity.
• Working with state, tribal, local, and territory governments, academia, the private sector, and nonprofit and community groups to implement the White House National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health—to end hunger and reduce diet-related diseases and disparities.
• Supporting the HHS Food Is Medicine initiative in collaboration with other federal partners, organizations, and communities to prevent, manage, and treat diet-related disease states and promote health and wellbeing through food and nutrition. The Food Is Medicine initiative is part of the National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health. Resources to advance Food Is Medicine can be found here.

Some states and communities are:

Two priority obesity-prevention strategies for state and local programs are:

• Improving nutrition, physical activity, and breastfeeding in early care and education programs.
• Establishing policies and activities that implement, spread, and sustain Family Healthy Weight Programs.

In addition, state and local programs are:

• Designing communities that connect sidewalks, bicycle routes, and public transportation with homes, schools, parks, and workplaces to increase physical activity.
• Expanding voucher incentive and produce prescription programs to make healthy foods more available.
• Promoting food service and nutrition guidelines in worksites, food pantries, and faith-based organizations.
• Implementing policies and activities that achieve continuity of care for breastfeeding.
• Partnering with business and civic leaders to plan and carry out local, culturally tailored interventions to address poor nutrition, physical inactivity, and tobacco use.

Health Care providers can:

• Use respectful and non-stigmatizing, person-first language in all weight-related discussions.
• Measure patients' weight and height, calculate body mass index (BMI) as part of a comprehensive assessment, and discuss how BMI might relate to health.
• Consider the many risk factors for obesity when making a diagnosis and discussing with patients. These factors include nutrition, physical activity, sleep, stress, hormones, medications, and others.
• Use the new ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes for adult and child obesity for a more accurate way to classify obesity and severity of obesity (available October 1, 2024). Learn more using these downloadable resources.
• Refer patients with obesity who are interested in losing weight to improve their health to intensive lifestyle programs, including Family Healthy Weight Programs and the National Diabetes Prevention Program.
• Discuss the use of medications, surgery, and other treatments for excess weight.
• Connect patients and families with community services to help them access healthy foods, including Food Is Medicine programs. Share ways and places to be physically active.
• Seek continuing medical education about obesity.

Everyone can take steps to:

• Eat healthy foods and drink healthy beverages, following the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Use:
  • MyPlate resources.
  • Tips for healthy eating for a healthy weight.
• Get the recommended amount of physical activity.
• Get enough sleep.
• Manage stress.
• Talk to your health care provider about whether weight is a health concern. If so, discuss available obesity treatment options to help reduce potential health risks.
• Get involved in local efforts, such as local committees and councils, to improve options for healthier foods and physical activity.