IOM, CDC, NIH Announce New National Obesity Campaign

The Institute of Medicine (IOM) is taking part in a new national multimedia initiative to present the latest facts on the country’s “obesity crisis.”

Other partners of the so-called “The Weight of the Nation” campaign are the HBO television network, the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, and Kaiser Permanente. Together with the IOM, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health will lend expert input to the projects.

The campaign will include a series of four documentary films (to air on HBO May 14 and 15), a three-part HBO Family series, 14 bonus short films, a social media campaign, and a companion book.

According to IOM, “The Weight of the Nation will send new light on the facts and myths of this urgent public health issue and explore how obesity is impacting our nation and the healthcare system.”

IOM will also publish a new report to review current progress on implementing obesity-curbing strategies, as well as to discuss future strategies. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation will fund the report, which will take aim at guiding community groups, policymakers, and others that play a role in obesity prevention strategies.