Priority Areas

To improve the efficiency, effectiveness and application of childhood obesity research, NCCOR is focusing on the following four priority areas in 2009-2011.

1. Common measures and methods

Develop, compile, test, and promote the consistent use of common measures and methods across childhood obesity prevention and weight control research at the individual, community and population levels.

2. Effective interventions

Evaluate new and existing obesity prevention and weight control interventions, with an emphasis on those involving multilevel and/or multi-component approaches, and strengthen the capacity (e.g., knowledge, skills, tools) to implement both interventions and evaluations.

3. Rapid assessment of promising policies and environmental changes

Accelerate rigorous evaluation of the effects of promising policy, system, and/or environmental changes—at the community, state, and national levels and across multiple settings (e.g., schools, homes, food and dining outlets, health care settings, community-based organizations)—on children’s diet, physical activity, energy balance and weight status.

4. Faster application to speed progress

Accelerate the adoption or application of effective interventions, programs, policy and evaluation and monitoring systems in states, communities and clinical practice.