Advancing Effective Obesity Communications

On September 16, 2019, the Roundtable on Obesity Solutions of the Health and Medicine Division of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, held a public workshop, Advancing Effective Obesity Communications, in Washington, DC. The workshop explored effective communication of obesity-related issues by providing an overview of the current communications environment and addressing the complexity of identifying key audiences and developing targeted messages. Speakers discussed communications strategies to reach specific intermediary audiences, such as the public, decision makers, and policy makers. The workshop also explored challenges in communicating about obesity issues, which include aligning the intended meaning of messages with an individual's perception of and response to those messages, addressing obesity bias and stigma through communications, and addressing misinformation. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussions that occurred at the workshop. Table of Contents Front Matter 1 Introduction 2 Overview of Communications and the Communications Environment 3 What Is Working and What Is Challenging in the Obesity Solutions Communications Landscape 4 Lessons from the Field: Potential Focus Areas for Communications of Obesity Solutions 5 Reflections on Advancing Effective Communication of Obesity Solutions References Appendix A: Workshop Agenda Appendix B: Acronyms and Abbreviations Appendix C: Biographical Sketches of Workshop Speakers and Planning Committee Members