Introduction and Overview of Worksite Studies

Abstract

The prevalence of obesity has reached epidemic propor-tions in all racial and ethnic groups, with about two-thirds(or 66%) of the U.S. adult population now overweight orobese (1). Among non-Hispanic blacks, the prevalence ofextreme obesity is about 2-fold that of the general popula-tion (1). This increase is likely due to environmental influ-ences that encourage consumption of high portion sizes ofenergy-dense foods, sedentary lifestyle, and limited accessto healthful foods (2,3). Interventions that modify theseinfluences are promising approaches to curtailing the obe-sity epidemic.Worksites are settings for reaching large numbers ofworking adults of varying socioeconomic levels and ethnicbackgrounds. Because studies testing interventions thatmodify the food and physical activity environments forweight control are in their infancy, formative research isuseful in helping to understand the complexities associatedwith changing such environments.This supplement to