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Updated: May 18, 2026

Multidisciplinary Approach to Obesity Management: A Case Report
Published on: May 30, 2025
State legislators' support for evidence-based obesity reduction policies
Philip J Welch1, Joseph A Dake, James H Price
1Department of Public & Allied Health, Bowling Green State University, 216 Health Center, Bowling Green, OH 43403, USA. pjwelch@bgsu.edu
Objective:
This study aimed to gauge state legislators' level of support for evidence-based obesity reduction policies.
Methods:
A list of 17 potential obesity reduction measures was sent via a valid and reliable survey questionnaire to a random sample of 800 state legislators from all 50 United States in 2011. Legislators were asked to rate their support for each measure on a three-point Likert-type scale.
Results:
There were 250 questionnaires returned. Chi-square tests revealed no significant differences between respondents and non-respondents by sex, political affiliation, or chamber designation. Respondents were approximately evenly split between Republicans (n=117) and Democrats (n=122). Overall, public school and community-based measures were supported at approximately the same levels. Linear regression revealed that political affiliation, race, and perceiving obesity as a serious societal problem were significant predictors of legislator support for obesity reduction policies. Legislator body mass index, level of education, and geographic location were not significant predictors of support.
Conclusions:
Public health advocates interested in promoting obesity prevention legislation at the state level are most likely to find support among non-white female Democratic legislators regardless of their BMI who perceive obesity to be a serious societal problem.
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