Duration: 10/01/2004 to 09/30/2005

Administrative Advisor(s):

NIFA Reps:

Non-Technical Summary

Statement of Issues and Justification

Statement of the Issues:

Overweight and obesity have reached epidemic proportions in the United States. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 40% of adults (69 million) will be obese by 2010 if trends go unchanged. Childhood obesity is increasing at an even more alarming rate. Obesity was first declared a major public concern in 1952. Since then billions of dollars have been spent to reduce this trend with no discernable effect. It is obvious that we need new approaches.

Justification:

The complexity and multifaceted nature of obesity development and its intractability strongly argue for multiple-disciplinary approaches. Clearly, obesity has genetic roots. But, the argument that genetic predisposition to obesity makes obesity inevitable (Fairburn and Cooper, 1996; Wardle, 1996) has been no more productive than the traditional "eat less, exercise more" solution (Nestle and Jacobson, 2000). Evidence is increasing that links physiological reactions with psychological interpretation of stimuli (IOM, 2000). The possibility that unhealthy behavioral reactions to life challenges reflect a combination of genetically- and developmentally-induced failures to cope must be considered.

Study of laboratory animals indicates that negative early-life experiences influence both behavior and hormonal reactivity throughout life (IOM, 2000). Some believe that in humans, developmental influences can alter the balance in brain neurotransmitter responses and that these alterations influence behavioral reactions to stress, interpretation of stimuli, resiliency and coping abilities. There are wide variations across individuals in their reactions to events however little is known about how biological and behavioral reactions might be linked. Similarly, little is known about the relationships between behavioral factors that lead to obesity and biologically-determined behavioral predispositions. Recent research using neuroimaging suggests that there may be brain cortical networks that link the sensation of taste with the experience of pleasure (Kringelbach, 2004). Such networks may also exist for emotional sensations related to social conditioning, attitudes, self-identity and self-efficacy, decision-making, social and cultural norms and environmental factors.

From a behavioral perspective, there are remarkably few studies examining the role of the family, schools and communities in shaping and supporting behaviors leading to weight gain (IOM, 2000). Social factors, such as socioeconomic status, social support, employment status, age, ethnic origin and religious belief have been identified as ones that influence behaviors leading to obesity but the reasons for these influences are not understood.

Anderson (2001) defined biobehavioral research as "the study of the interactions of biological factors with behavioral or social variables and how they affect each other (i.e., the study of bi-directional multilevel relationships)." Biobehavioral research is in its infancy but it is clear that to be successful, multidisciplinary approaches must be created using a variety of methods including qualitative, quantitative, clinical and laboratory. Successful transdisciplinary approaches addressing obesity must be theory-driven and must focus on individual behavior within social and biological contexts.

As the number of obese Americans continues to grow there will be concurrent growth in chronic disease development. To date, efforts to reverse the trend toward overweight and obesity have failed. New multidisciplinary approaches are needed to address this complex, multifaceted problem

Objectives

Procedures and Activities

Expected Outcomes and Impacts

Projected Participation

View Appendix E: Participation

Educational Plan

Organization/Governance

Literature Cited

Anderson, NB. A definition of behavior and social sciences research for the NIH. http://obssr.od.nih.gov/funding/definition.html, June 2001 (accessed July 1, 2004)

Fairburn CG, Cooper Z. New perspectives on dietary and behavioral treatments for obesity. Internatl J Obesity 20(S1):9-13, 1996.

IOM. Health and behavior: The interplay of biological, behavioral, and societal influences. Washington DC:National Academy Press, 2001.

Kringelbach ML. Food for thought: hedonic experience beyond homeostasis in the human brain. Neuroscience, 126(4):807-19, 2004.

Nestle M, Jacobson MF. Halting the obesity epidemic: A public health policy approach. Public Health Reports 115:12-24, 2000.

Wardle J. Obesity and behavior change: Matching problems to practice. Internatl J Obesity 20(S1):1-8, 1996.

Attachments

Land Grant Participating States/Institutions

IN, MA, ME, MI, MN, MO, OH, OK, SC, SD, WI

Non Land Grant Participating States/Institutions