IOM Report Offers Framework for Obesity Prevention Decision Making

The Institute of Medicine (IOM) has issued a report titled “Bridging the Evidence Gap in Obesity Prevention: A Framework to Inform Decision Making” to guide the use of relevant evidence about obesity prevention policies and programs.

According to the report brief, IOM’s Food and Nutrition Board reviewed “what is considered to be the relevant information base for community, environmental, and policy-based obesity prevention initiatives” and found “a clear evidence gap.” In response, the board developed the L.E.A.D. framework process, short for “Locate evidence, Evaluate it, Assemble it, and Inform Decisions.” The framework involves “innovative approaches to generating, identifying, evaluating, and compiling evidence—taking a broad, transdisciplinary perspective.” These approaches include (i) incorporating systems thinking; (ii) building a resource base; (iii) establishing evidence for standards quality; (iv) supporting the generation of evidence; and (v) communicating, disseminating, evaluating, and refining the L.E.A.D. framework. See IOM Website, April 23, 2010.