Reports/Guidelines
Assessing the Healthfulness of Consumers' Grocery PurchasesUSDA. Economic Research Service.
This study focuses on consumers’ grocery (food-at-home) expenditures to measure the extent to which Americans are conforming to Dietary Guidelines for Americans with the foods they purchase at the supermarket. Report also available in PDF (1.5MB). November, 2012.
U.S. Obesity TrendsDHHS. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Includes national obesity trends, trends by state, and county-specific obesity, diabetes, and physical inactivity prevalence with national and state maps.
Dietary Guidelines for Americans: Balancing Calories to Manage Weight (PDF | 956 KB)United States Department of Health and Human Services; United States Department of Agriculture.
This chapter of the 2010 Dietary Guideline for Americans discusses the key recommendations for weight management, including those for special population groups. Provides information on diet, physical activity and maintaining appropriate calorie balance.
Calories Count: FDA Obesity Working Group Report and Related InformationUSDA. FDA. Center for Food Safety & Applied Nutrition.
"Calories Count" documents from the FDA's Obesity Working Group which include links to reports, letters and press releases related to obesity such as: FDA Proposes Action Plan to Confront Nation's Obesity Problem.
Clinical Guidelines on the Identification, Evaluation, and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Adults
DHHS. NIH. National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.
Presents a new approach for the assessment and treatment of overweight and obesity in adults based on an extensive review of the scientific literature. Includes information on diet, physical activity and behavior therapy. Access the full report, executive summary, on-line textbook, and the practical guide for practitioners. Best used as background information as some information is clinical in nature.
Food Stamps and Obesity: What Do We Know?
USDA. Economic Research Service.
"Results from reviewed studies indicate that for most participants in the Food Stamp Program use of food stamp benefits does not result in an increase in either BMI or the likelihood of being overweight or obese. However, for nonelderly women, who account for 28 percent of the food stamp caseload, some evidence suggests that participation in the Food Stamp Program may increase BMI and the probability of obesity." March 2008.
Can eating fruits and vegetables help people to manage their weight? (PDF | 244)DHHS. CDC. Produce for Better Health Foundation.
Examines the evidence from available studies to determine whether eating fruits and vegetables can help with weight management.
Insidious Consumption: Surprising Factors That Influence What We Eat and How Much
USDA. Economic Research Service.
Behavioral economics reveals new possibilities for more healthful food choices. June 2007.
The Economics of Obesity: A Report on the Workshop Held at USDA's Economic Research ServiceUSDA. Economic Research Service.
This report provides a summary of the papers and the discussions presented at the workshop held at the Economic Research Service (ERS) in April 2003. The purpose was to provide an overview of leading health economics research on the causes and consequences of rising obesity in the United States.
The Role of Economics in Eating Choices and Weight OutcomesUSDA. Economic Research Service.
This report uses data from the USDA's 1994-96 Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals and the 1994-96 Diet and Health Knowledge Survey to ascertain whether economic factors help explain weight differences among adults.
Food Stamps and Obesity: Ironic Twist or Complex Puzzle?
USDA. ERS. Amber Waves.
"As the major nutrition problems facing the U.S. population have shifted from too little intake to overconsumption and obesity, some have questioned whether food stamps encourage participants to eat too much." February 2006.
The Effects of Food Stamps on Obesity (PDF | 856KB)USDA. Economic Research Service.
"This report uses 1985-2000 data from the 1979 cohort of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth to examine the effects of the Food Stamp Program on obesity. The effects are found to differ by gender, level of benefits, and duration of participation." September 2007.
Food and Nutrition Assistance Programs and Obesity: 1976-2002USDA. Economic Research Service.
This report analyzes cross-sectional data from 1976-2002 to identify trends in the relationship between food assistance program participation and body weight. September 2007.