Date: April 24, 2012
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
IOM Executive Officer Co-Authors Book on Fighting the Forces That Make Americans Obese
WASHINGTON — A new book co-authored by Judith Salerno, Leonard D. Schaeffer Executive Officer of the Institute of Medicine, examines the forces driving the obesity epidemic in the U.S. and offers practical tips to those who want to make healthier choices in spite of these pressures. The book, The Weight of the Nation: To Win We Have to Lose, complements a multipart HBO documentary on obesity in America, presented in collaboration with IOM, which will debut on May 14 and 15. The executive producer of the documentary, John Hoffman, co-authored the book with Salerno, along with co-producer Alexandra Moss.
The book examines the array of factors that feed America’s obesity problem -- from the human body itself, which evolved to crave more food than it needs, to restaurant portion sizes that pack a day’s worth of calories into one meal, to neighborhoods and workplaces that encourage little physical activity. The book debunks common myths about obesity and offers no-nonsense advice on steps individuals can take to eat healthy, stay active, lose weight, and keep it off.
“The Weight of the Nation campaign challenges each of us to ask: What can I do for myself? What can I do for my family? And what can I do for my community?” said Salerno. “It's only by working collaboratively that we will be able to confront and solve the obesity crisis.”
The HBO documentary series, also titled The Weight of the Nation, will explore the causes of America’s obesity problem and its health, economic, and social consequences. Presented by HBO and IOM, the documentary was produced in association with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health, and in partnership with the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation and Kaiser Permanente.
In addition, on May 8 IOM will release a report, Accelerating Progress in Obesity Prevention, at CDC’s Weight of the Nation conference in Washington, D.C. While the HBO series takes an in-depth look at the nature of the obesity problem and the book explains actions individuals can take, the new IOM report will recommend ways society can support individuals by making healthy choices easier.
“If we are going to dial back the weight of the nation, we will need to act together -- as families, communities, and a nation -- to make the right individual choices easier, cheaper, more satisfying, and more convenient,” said IOM President Harvey V. Fineberg in an afterword to the book.
Reporters who wish to obtain a review copy of the book, published by St. Martin’s Press, should contact the Office of News and Public Information (contacts below). All profits from book sales will be used to fund anti-obesity efforts.
Established in 1970 under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Medicine provides objective, evidence-based advice to policymakers, health professionals, the private sector, and the public. The Institute of Medicine, National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, and National Research Council together make up the independent, nonprofit National Academies. For more information, visit http://national-academies.org or http://iom.edu.
Contacts:
Christine Stencel, Senior Media Relations Officer
Shaquanna Shields, Media Relations Assistant
Office of News and Public Information
202-334-2138; e-mail news@nas.edu
Additional resources:
More information on The Weight of the Nation by Judith Salerno, John Hoffman, and Alexandra Moss
http://us.macmillan.com/theweightofthenation/johnhoffman
More information on the HBO documentary series The Weight of the Nation
www.hbo.com/weightofthenation/johnhoffman
More information on the IOM study Accelerating Progress in Obesity Prevention
http://www.iom.edu/Activities/Nutrition/ObesityPrevProgress.aspx
# # #
|
