Building a Research Base for Obesity Prevention

The obesity epidemic—the numbers are stunning, the problem global, and the challenges daunting. Obesity threatens the health of hundreds of millions at all ages and every socioeconomic level. However, we are learning more about its complex causes, including the social determinants of obesity, and we are working on numerous fronts to prevent the epidemic from spreading.

Many of those efforts under way throughout our region are described in this issue of Northwest Public Health. Our School is deeply involved in research on obesity from several angles: child and adolescent health, fitness programs for seniors, nutritional sciences, and diabetes prevention among them. We also have a long-standing focus on the social determinants of health, and we promote research, education, and practice that lead to reducing health disparities.

For example, research by Adam Drewnowski, PhD, professor of epidemiology and director of our Nutritional Sciences Program, Center for Public Health Nutrition, and Center for Obesity Research, has indicated that healthy food is more expensive and less available, particularly in rural areas and inner cities. Energy-dense foods, such as those high in fat and sugars, can contribute to obesity in poor areas by being cheaper and more accessible in those communities. A new grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (one of the National Institutes of Health) will help us study those geographic and economic indicators of obesity. The grant will fund a study looking at how physical, social, and economic environments influence dietary choices and contribute to disparities in obesity rates.

This study will include a telephone survey of about 2,000 adults in King County to learn about their socioeconomic status, shopping and eating habits, food spending, and health. It will further earlier research on whether physical and economic access to food sources can predict the energy density of a person’s diet and the risk of obesity. It also builds on previous research and partnerships established by our Center for Public Health Nutrition. That Center was founded in 2002 to advance and promote public health practice to improve nutrition and reduce obesity. It does that by collaborating with government, community, and academic partners; conducting research in public health nutrition and physical activity; and extending the benefits of University resources and expertise beyond the campus.

On another front, the UW Center for Obesity Research (UW-COR) is developing new interdisciplinary approaches to examine the social determinants of obesity. UW-COR has been fostering interdisciplinary research involving epidemiology, nutrition, economics, urban planning, and health services to address the biomedical, social, economic, and environmental aspects of obesity. The Center’s long-term goal is to translate research results into evidence-based strategies for obesity prevention and treatment. We need new approaches to obesity prevention and want to influence environmental and policy changes that will have an effect on the public’s health.

Once again, Northwest Public Health has brought us thoughtful articles covering a broad spectrum of regional efforts to address an important public health issue. I am always impressed by the work of our colleagues in the practice community and am pleased to have an opportunity to provide an overview of some of the ways our School supports and contributes to that good work.

Patricia Wahl, Dean
School of Public Health and Community Medicine