Last week the National Institutes of Health released a new Strategic Plan for NIH Obesity Research to combat the obesity epidemic by encouraging diverse scientific investigations. The plan emphasizes the development of practical solutions by moving science from the laboratory to clinical trials, and it is designed to help target efforts and resources in areas most likely to help. Of potential interest to sleep and circadian researchers, the plan includes sleep and sleep disorders among various factors that contribute to obesity and its consequences. “The importance of sleep and the circadian ‘clock’ in obesity development is increasingly recognized,” the report states.
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, together with the Health Resources and Services Administration through the Health Care Innovations Exchange, presents the new Paths to Healthy Weight webpage, which features innovations and tools to help communities and clinicians prevent overweight and obesity. It includes profiles of innovators, podcasts, Web seminars, and other resources and links.
