For decades, obesity in the United States has been at epidemic levels. Although a number of government sponsored programs and public education has helped, more is needed to understand the underlying causes of obesity, as well as more effective preventative measures and treatments. Under the Funding Opportunity Number PA-10-027, a grant called Obesity Policy Research – Evaluation and Measure (R01) was posted in 2009.
This grant, which is being supported through the Department of Education, Department of Food and Nutrition, Department of Health, and Income Security and Social Services, will remain open for eligible applicants until January 2013. Organizations heavily involved include the National Cancer Institute, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, and National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. Obesity at any age leads to a variety of serious health risks, which is why so much attention is being given to this opportunity.
The grant will serve two purposes to include the evaluation research on natural experiments related to obesity such as activity and diet, and to develop and/or evaluate methodologies and instruments used to understand physical activity and diet within the community. With the research completed, the goal is to provide grant leaders with information specific to activity and diet so the health and wellness of people in the United States could be improved upon specific to obesity.
Through research, it has been shown that activity, diet, and even body weight play a significant role in the development of various health risks and chronic diseases to include cardiovascular disease and cancer. Of all illnesses, these two are easily prevented for non-smoking people. By learning ways to prevent obesity or overcome an existing case of obesity, risk of developing cardiovascular disease and cancer is greatly reduced.
However, along with obesity being directly linked to these two illnesses, this condition has also been proven to cause acute pancreatitis, gallstones, chronic kidney disease, and a number of other digestive diseases. Of course, diabetes is without doubt the greatest challenge, with more than 24 million adults age 20 and older living with this disease. With diabetes linked to obesity, using this and other grants as a means of learning how to lower the number of obesity incidences would be extremely beneficial.
Sadly, even with greater health awareness specific to obesity, to include inadequate activity, poor diet, and excessive weight, the numbers are still climbing. In looking at the numbers over the past 25 years, we see that in the United States alone, the number of obese people has doubled. Even worse, obesity is not just a disease affecting adults but incidences in children over the same time period have tripled, making this a serious issue for everyone.
Research performed in the past focused primarily on activity behavior and changing diet but methods for change have been unsuccessful. With this new grant, research will focus differently to include prevalence in school lunches, portion control, activity environments such as street design and sidewalks, high cost for fresh and nutritional foods, technological advances, and more. The experts anticipate by using this grant to focus on different research, new clues to causes, preventions, and treatments can be discovered and implemented.
A few examples of how this new grant will look use natural experiments for the evaluation of obesity, consider the following:
• New grocery stores being built in underserved neighborhoods
• Improved school lunches and better physical activity
• Information campaigns to better educate the public about health risks associated with obesity
• Financial incentives to farmers markets and others for improving diet
• Calorie labeling in restaurants
• Creation of environments such as the addition of or improved sidewalks
Eligible applicants for the “Obesity Policy Research – Evaluation and Measures (R01) grant include the following:
• Governments
• State
• County
• City/Township
• Native American Tribal (Federally Recognized)
• Education
• Special Districts
• Independent School Districts
• Public and State-Controlled Institutions of Higher Education
• Private Institutions of Higher Education
• Organizations and Authorities
• Native American Tribal Organizations (Non-Federally Recognized)
• Public Housing Authorities/Indian Housing Authorities
• Non-Profit Organizations with and without 501(c)(3) status with the IRS (excluding institutions of higher education)
• For Profit Organization (Excluding Small Businesses)
• Small businesses
• Miscellaneous
• Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions
• Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government
• Faith or Community-Based Organizations
• Historically Black Colleges/Universities
• Hispanic-Serving Institutions
• Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Non-Federally Recognized)
• Non-Domestic (Non-US) Entities (Foreign Organizations)
• Regional Organizations
• Tribally-Controlled Colleges/Universities
• US Territory/Possession
In addition, any individual with necessary skills, resources, and knowledge to carry out the proposed research under this grant are invited to apply, as well as individuals underrepresented racial and ethnic groups and people with disabilities.
The SF424 application package along with the SF424 application guide can be downloaded by visiting the government grant website at http://www.grants.gov/apply. However, prior to application, a registration process must be completed four weeks prior. Any applicant should make sure their organization or institution is not already registered with the government grant program and the commons, at which time the registration process would not need to be repeated.
