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Updated: Mar 22, 2026

Multidisciplinary Approach to Obesity Management: A Case Report
Published on: May 30, 2025
Motivating systems-oriented research on environmental and policy changes for obesity prevention
L J Cheskin1, R Frutchey2, A Y McDermott2
1Johns Hopkins Weight Management Center, Department of Health, Behavior & Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the Global Obesity Prevention Center at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Background:
Research on the types of interventions needed for population-level prevention of childhood obesity in complex societal systems can benefit from greater use of systems-science concepts and tools.
Objectives:
We report outcomes of a funding programme promoting incorporation of systems-science approaches into studies of imminent policy or environmental changes potentially impacting childhood obesity.
Methods:
Seven funding cycles over 3 years yielded 172 initial submissions from 29 US states and 25 other countries were analyzed.
Results:
Submissions focused primarily on aspects of school or child-care settings, parks and recreational settings, or access to healthy food; about half reflected attention to systems perspectives.
Conclusions:
Analysis of initial submissions as well as the 15 funded projects showed some success in motivating use of systems concepts and tools but suggested the need for a more focused effort to educate and prepare the childhood obesity prevention research community for this potentially crucial type of research.
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