Harvard launches a workshop series targeting the control of obesity in the US

The Harvard Center for Cancer Prevention launched a workshop series to target the control of obesity in the United States. Under the direction of Professor Walter Willett, the series started on April 16 with a workshop titled 'Overweight/obesity and chronic disease: understanding and communicating the connection'. Several introductory lectures by distinguished experts in the field introduced the workshop participants to the key issues related to obesity control. During the second half of the meeting, participants broke out into small groups. Through lively discussions, each group developed a first set of key messages addressing preventive measures that need to be taken to effectively fight the obesity epidemic. Future workshops will help refine these messages with the ultimate goal of providing policy makers and communities with a tool for obesity control.