Nutrition, Physical Activity, & Obesity

Poor nutrition and lack of physical activity are critical, growing issues in the United States. In 2018, only 12 percent of U.S. adults met the daily fruit serving recommendation, whereas just 9 percent consumed the suggested vegetable servings. In addition, only 25 percent of adults get the recommended aerobic and muscle-strengthening physical activity, according to a 2020 brief from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

As a result, approximately 60 percent of U.S. adults are living with at least one diet-related chronic disease, such as cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, or obesity. The prevalence of diet-related chronic disease is leading to a variety of negative outcomes at the individual, community, and national levels, including lower life expectancy, financial burden, strain on the health care and social service systems, reduced productivity, and more. 

Improving food choices and daily activity habits is one of the most effective public health interventions for preventing chronic disease and enhancing quality of life. 

Multidisciplinary Solutions for Sustainable Nutrition and Physical Activity Changes 

Healthy eating and activity habits are influenced by a range of factors, including access to safe, convenient, and low-cost food and recreation facilities; consumer preferences and knowledge; and cultural norms. Fostering individual-, household-, and community-level behavior change requires supportive, evidence-based programs that offer sustainable solutions.  

For more than two decades, RTI International’s team of economists, program evaluators, behavioral scientists, statisticians, and communication scientists have been analyzing and evaluating the impact of food and nutrition-related programs and policies on obesity, public health and well-being. Our research and evaluation experts have a broad range of capabilities, including the following:

• Program and policy evaluation
• Data collection, analysis, and modeling
• Intervention development
• Community-based participatory research
• Public health education campaigns
• Education and training
• Literature and scientific peer reviews 

The tools and interventions that RTI researchers develop, optimize, and promote help individuals make healthy, sustainable choices related to nutrition and physical activity and reduce risk factors for chronic disease.  

In addition, RTI Innovation Advisors is partnering with commercial food, beverage, and agriculture organizations to improve health and well-being outcomes by identifying functional ingredients that improve nutritional value and determining market gaps from changing customer preferences.