The Science and Policy of Obesity

Before you start you might want to check out the Chicago Public Health Agenda that overviews the latest statistics on the epidemic.

Current Statistics: From 2005-2009, adult obesity increased by 9% to 29.7%. This translates into 67% of Chicago adults being either overweight or obese. Among Chicago children, available data reveal that 3-7 year-olds have more than twice the obesity rate (22%) than that of young children in the U.S. as a whole (10%). Other local data reveal that 71% of high school students and 29% of adults do not get adequate physical activity, and over 70% of students and adults do not eat the recommended number of servings of produce. In 2010, an estimated 380,000 Chicagoans lived in food deserts.

Question: What intervention policies should be in place to stop the obesity epidemic in Chicago?

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