Obesity and overweight pose significant challenges to the armed forces in the United States, affecting service members (including active duty, guard, and reserve components), veterans, retirees, and their families and communities. The consequences of obesity and overweight in the armed forces influence various aspects of its operations that are critical to national security. On May 7, 2018, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, held a workshop titled "Understanding and Overcoming the Challenge of Obesity and Overweight in the Armed Forces." Speakers examined how obesity and overweight are measured in the armed forces and how they affect recruitment, retention, resilience, and readiness; discussed service-specific issues related to these problems and highlighted innovative strategies to address them through improved nutrition, physical activity, and stress management; and offered perspectives from outside of the armed forces on approaches to prevent and treat obesity. They also discussed the challenges and opportunities related to overcoming the concerns posed by obesity and overweight in the armed forces, military families, and their communities, including potential cross-sector opportunities. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussions from the workshop. Table of Contents Front Matter 1 Introduction 2 Defining the Problem and Its Effects on Recruitment, Retention, Resilience, and Readiness 3 Service-Specific Issues Related to Obesity and Overweight 4 Exploring Innovative Strategies 5 Perspectives from Outside the Armed Forces 6 Potential Future Opportunities for the Armed Forces, Military Families, and Their Communities References Appendix A: Workshop Agenda Appendix B: Acronyms and Abbreviations Appendix C: Innovative Strategies: Abstracts Appendix D: Speaker and Facilitator Biographies

On September 16, 2019, the Roundtable on Obesity Solutions of the Health and Medicine Division of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, held a public workshop, Advancing Effective Obesity Communications, in Washington, DC. The workshop explored effective communication of obesity-related issues by providing an overview of the current communications environment and addressing the complexity of identifying key audiences and developing targeted messages. Speakers discussed communications strategies to reach specific intermediary audiences, such as the public, decision makers, and policy makers. The workshop also explored challenges in communicating about obesity issues, which include aligning the intended meaning of messages with an individual's perception of and response to those messages, addressing obesity bias and stigma through communications, and addressing misinformation. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussions that occurred at the workshop. Table of Contents Front Matter 1 Introduction 2 Overview of Communications and the Communications Environment 3 What Is Working and What Is Challenging in the Obesity Solutions Communications Landscape 4 Lessons from the Field: Potential Focus Areas for Communications of Obesity Solutions 5 Reflections on Advancing Effective Communication of Obesity Solutions References Appendix A: Workshop Agenda Appendix B: Acronyms and Abbreviations Appendix C: Biographical Sketches of Workshop Speakers and Planning Committee Members

The increasing prevalence and burden of obesity transcends borders, straining populations worldwide. Data shows that 50 million girls, 74 million boys, 390 million women, and 281 million men were estimated to have obesity in 2016 (NCD-RisC, 2017). The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine convened a workshop on October 9, 2018 to address the status of the global obesity pandemic and discuss diverse approaches to manage this problem. Speakers examined the collective prevalence, costs, and drivers of obesity around the world using cross-cultural comparisons. Panels and group discussions emphasized the need to reduce disparities in prevention and treatment efforts and to generate new policy and system initiatives related to nutrition and physical activity worldwide. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussions from the workshop. Table of Contents Front Matter 1 Introduction 2 Global Trends in Obesity 3 Global Obesity Prevention and Treatment Efforts 4 Managing the Global Epidemic: Challenges and Cross-Cultural Insights 5 Reflections on the Global Approach and Lessons for Next Steps References Appendix A: Workshop Agenda Appendix B: Acronyms and Abbreviations Appendix C: Biographical Sketches of Workshop Speakers and Planning Committee Members

Dietary assessment in older adults presents many unique problems due to the diversity of health states and capabilities that span the population group. Little is known about dietary intakes, body composition, and nutritional status among individuals 75 and older. The National Academies Food and Nutrition Board hosted a virtual workshop series in spring 2022 intended to provide guidance to researchers and clinicians. The workshops aimed to outline considerations relating to different methods of assessing intakes of food and dietary supplements in older adults. The covered topics included current status of dietary and nutrition assessment of older adults and advances and key issues in this topic; nutritional screening of older adults; and nutritional practices, challenges, and policies that affect older adults. This Proceedings highlights presentations and discussions from the workshops. Table of Contents Front Matter 1 Introduction 2 Foundations and Current Status of Dietary and Nutrition Assessment of Older Adults 3 Advances and Key Issues in Dietary Assessment of Older Adults 4 Nutritional Screening of Older Adults 5 Nutritional Policies, Practices, and Challenges That Affect Older Adults Appendix A: Workshop Agendas Appendix B: Abbreviations and Acronyms Appendix C: Biographical Sketches of Workshop Speakers and Planning Committee Members

In response to a request from Congress, the Health and Medicine Division of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine conducted a study comparing the process to develop the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025 (DGA 2020-2025) to recommendations included in the previously published National Academies report, Redesigning the Process for Establishing the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. This report describes the findings of the committee and conclusions related to this assessment. Notably, this report does not evaluate the merits of the DGA 2020-2025 but evaluates the process by which they were created relative to the recommendations made in the previously published National Academies report. Table of Contents Front Matter Summary 1 Introduction 2 The Process to Create the Dietary Guidelines for Americans is Both Complicated and Complex: Background and Context for Task 3 3 Methodological Approach to the Task 4 Assessing the Potential Implications of Fully Implementing the 2017 Recommendations to Redesign the Process to Establish the Dietary Guidelines for Americans: Committee Findings and Conclusions 5 Concluding Remarks Appendix A: Committee Member Biographies Appendix B: Elements of the 20202025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans Process Appendix C: Data Sources Used by the 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Appendix D: Open Session Materials

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine's Roundtable on Obesity Solutions convened a three-part workshop series that explored how structural racism, weight bias and stigma, and health communication intersect with obesity, gaps in the evidence base, and challenges and opportunities for long-term, systems-wide strategies needed to reduce the incidence and prevalence of obesity. Through diverse examples across different levels and sectors of society, the workshops explored how to leverage the connections between these three drivers and innovative data-driven and policy approaches to inform actionable priorities for individuals, organizations, and policymakers to make lasting systems change. Table of Contents Front Matter 1 Introduction 2 An Introduction to the Intersection of Structural Racism, Biased Mental Models, Stigma, Weight Bias, and Effective Health Communication with Obesity Solutions 3 The Intersection of Structural Racism and Obesity 4 The Intersection of Biased Mental Models, Stigma, Weight Bias, and Obesity 5 Reflections on the Intersections of Structural Racism, Biased Mental Models, Stigma, and Weight Bias with Obesity 6 Operationalizing Health Communication for Obesity Solutions 7 Data-Driven Obesity Solutions and Innovative Approaches 8 Innovative Policy Solutions 9 Reflections on Equity-Centered Approaches to Reducing the Prevalence of Obesity 10 Leveraging Data for Systems Change: Connecting Obesity and Its Underlying Determinants 11 Systems Applications to Address Structural Barriers to Obesity Solutions 12 Policy Solutions for Nutrition Security and Obesity 13 A Multisector Conversation on Systems-Levels Changes for Obesity Solutions 14 PatientProvider Communication around Obesity Treatment and Solutions References Appendix A: Workshop Agendas Appendix B: Acronyms and Abbreviations Appendix C: Biographical Sketches of Workshop Speakers and Planning Committee Members

The Food Forum of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine convened a virtual workshop, Challenges and Opportunities for Precision and Personalized Nutrition, on August 10-12, 2021. The workshop explored potential challenges and opportunities in the application of precision and personalized nutrition approaches to optimize dietary guidance and improve nutritional status. Workshops presenters discussed current precision and personalized nutrition research methodologies, limitations in data and design, adapting technologies for utilization, and policy and regulatory challenges. This Proceedings of a Workshop summarizes the presentations and discussions of the workshop. Table of Contents Front Matter 1 Introduction 2 The Current Evidence Base and Limitations 3 Innovative Methodologies and Technologies 4 Implementation of Precision and Personalized Nutrition References Appendix A: Workshop Agenda Appendix B: Acronyms and Abbreviations Appendix C: Biographical Sketches of Workshop Speakers, Moderators, and Planning Committee Members

A virtual workshop series titled Approaches to Assessing Intake of Food and Dietary Supplements in Pregnant Women and Children 2 to 11 Years of Age was convened in May, 2021 by the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The four-day workshop series explored the evidence on methodological approaches to assessing intake of food and dietary supplements in pregnant women and children 2 to 11 years of age. Obtaining reliable and valid dietary intake information for these population groups is particularly difficult - in pregnancy, rapid changes in nutrient needs and dietary intakes occur, and in young children, much of dietary intake is consumed outside the home and is often misreported by the children or their proxy reporters. To advance the quality of the science in these areas, the workshop had four goals: identify the suite of current methods used in dietary assessments, including food and dietary supplements, in pregnant women and children 2 to 11 years of age; identify the methodological challenges and opportunities in improving current methods; explore methodologies in other disciplines and their application in dietary assessments in those populations; and discuss factors to consider when implementing dietary assessment tools in those populations. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussions of the workshop series. Table of Contents Front Matter 1 Introduction 2 Methods for Dietary Assessment During Pregnancy 3 Methods for Dietary Assessment in Children 2 to 5 Years of Age 4 Methods for Dietary Assessment in Children 6 to 11 Years of Age 5 Innovations and Special Considerations in Assessing Dietary Intake During Pregnancy and in Children 2 to 11 Years of Age References Appendix A: Workshop Agendas Appendix B: Acronyms and Abbreviations Appendix C: Biographical Sketches of Speakers and Planning Committee Members

The Roundtable on Obesity Solutions of The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine held a virtual workshop on September 16, 2020 titled Using Systems Applications to Inform Obesity Solutions. It explored various systems science approaches (i.e., methodologies and tools) and support structures that could guide future obesity research and action, and featured examples of how these approaches can inform decision making within policy and program areas. Workshop speakers discussed the support structures (e.g., data sources, modeling expertise, training, and partnerships and collaborations) that encourage and engage researchers and decision makers to use systems science approaches to better understand the causes of and solutions to the obesity epidemic. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussions from the workshop. Table of Contents Front Matter 1 Introduction 2 The Promises and Pitfalls of Systems Science Approaches: A Practitioner's Perspective 3 Exploring the Usefulness of Systems Science Approaches for Stakeholders in Different Sectors 4 Reflections on Using Systems Science Applications to Inform Obesity Solutions References Appendix A: Workshop Agenda Appendix B: Acronyms and Abbreviations Appendix C: Biographical Sketches of Workshop Speakers and Moderators Appendix D: Glossary

A virtual workshop titled Integrating Systems and Sectors Toward Obesity Solutions, held April 6, 2020 (Part I), and June 30, 2020 (Part II), was convened by the Roundtable on Obesity Solutions, Health and Medicine Division, National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The workshop introduced the concept of complex systems and the field of systems science, and explored systems science approaches to obesity solutions. Speakers provided an overview of systems science theories, approaches, and applications, highlighting examples from within and outside the obesity field. Presentations and discussions examined complex systems in society that have the potential to shape public health and well-being, and considered opportunities for systems change as they relate to obesity solutions. Specifically, the workshop explored factors that can influence obesity - such as (in)equity, relationships, connections, networks, capacity, power dynamics, social determinants, and political will - and how these factors can impact communications and cross-sector collaboration to address obesity. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussion of the workshop. Table of Contents Front Matter 1 Introduction 2 Overview of Systems Science Theories, Approaches, and Applications 3 Complex Systems in Society and the Context for Obesity 4 Impacting Complex Systems That Can Influence Obesity 5 Examples from the Field: Applying Systems Thinking to Population Health Issues References Appendix A: Workshop Agendas Appendix B: Acronyms and Abbreviations Appendix C: Glossary Appendix D: Biographical Sketches of Workshop Speakers and Planning Committee Members