In response to a request from Congress for a prevention-oriented action plan to tackle the alarming rise in childhood obesity, the IOM Committee on Prevention of Obesity in Children and Youth has developed a comprehensive national strategy that recommends specific actions for families, schools, industry, communities, and government.  The committee's findings and recommendations are described in the report Preventing Childhood Obesity: Health in the Balance.

The report provides a broad-based examination of the nature, extent, and consequences of obesity in U.S. children and youth, including the social, environmental, and dietary factors responsible for its increased prevalence.

The report's action plan lays out explicit goals and recommendations for preventing obesity and promoting healthy weight in children and youth in various segments of society.  It also explores the actions needed to initiate, support, and sustain the societal and lifestyle changes that can reverse the trend among our children and youth.

The follow up to this study was Progress in Preventing Childhood Obesity and was conducted from 2006-2007.