Overcoming Inequities in Obesity: What Don’t We Know That We Need to Know?

Abstract

Efforts to combat the U.S. obesity epidemic have been ongoing in earnest for nearly two decades, informed by a substantial body of knowledge and guided by numerous programmatic and policy recommendations. Yet, although there are some bright spots, I sense frustration in the public health community with the overall lack of clear progress in lowering high obesity prevalence. The fact that something is missing from current approaches is undeniable and must be a continued source of inquiry. This commentary focuses attention on an aspect that is especially concerning—inequities that predispose to a notably higher obesity prevalence in U.S. racial/ethnic minority populations compared with non-Hispanic Whites. Critical analyses of what we are doing now can point the way to improvements in both individually oriented and policy, systems, and environmental change strategies to overcome the epidemic. Success will require working with communities to co-design relevant and realistic interventions as well as broader social changes that address underlying causes.