About Publications

Publications from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine provide objective and straightforward advice to decision makers and the public. This site includes Health and Medicine Division (HMD) publications released after 1998.A complete list of HMD’s publications from its establishment in 1970 to the present is available as a PDF.

On July 9-10, 2014, the Institute of Medicine’s Food Forum hosted a public workshop to explore emerging and rapidly developing research on relationships among the brain, the digestive system, and eating behavior. Drawing on expertise from the fields of nutrition and food science, animal and human physiology and behavior, and psychology and psychiatry as well as related fields, the purpose of the workshop was to review current knowledge on the relationship between the brain and eating behavior, explore the interaction between the brain and the digestive system, and consider what is known about the brain’s role in eating patterns and consumer choice; evaluate current methods used to determine the impact of food on brain activity and eating behavior; and identify gaps in knowledge and articulate a theoretical framework for future research.

At the request of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, an expert Institute of Medicine (IOM) committee is undertaking a comprehensive review of the food packages used in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) to bring the program into alignment with current dietary guidelines.

NASA’s Human Research Program developed a collection of evidence reports that provide “the current record of the state of knowledge from research and operations” for more than 30 human health and performance risks related to long-duration and exploration spaceflights. To review NASA’s evidence reports, the IOM assembled a multi-disciplinary committee with expertise in aerospace medicine, occupational health, radiation medicine, human performance, systems engineering, human-computer interaction, internal medicine, physiology and cardiovascular health, immunology, behavioral health and sociology, task simulation and training, and biomedical informatics.

The committee’s report, A Framework for Assessing Effects of the Food System, sponsored by The JPB Foundation, presents guiding principles and practical steps to help stakeholders weigh tradeoffs and choose policies that integrate benefits and risks across various domains.

On September 30, 2014, the Roundtable on Obesity Solutions held a 1-day workshop titled “Cross-Sector Work on Obesity Prevention, Treatment, and Weight Maintenance: Models for Change.” The workshop was designed to explore models of cross-sector work that may reduce the prevalence and consequences of obesity, discuss lessons learned from case studies of cross-sector initiatives, and spur future cross-sector collaboration. The first half of the workshop examined four considerations important to cross-sector work: health equity, sustainability, leadership, and measurement. The second half of the workshop examined five case studies that represent cross-sector collaboratives at different levels of organization, from the tribal and regional to the county, state, and national levels.

On July 9-10, 2014, the Institute of Medicine’s (IOM’s) Food Forum hosted a public workshop to explore emerging and rapidly developing research on relationships between the brain, digestive system, and eating behavior. The figure below illustrates the complex relationships between the brain, digestive system, and eating behavior and the influence of biology and the environment.

For the first time in decades, promising news has emerged regarding efforts to curb the obesity crisis in the United States. For example, obesity rates have fallen among low-income children in several states, the prevalence of obesity has plateaued among girls, and targeted efforts in some states have reduced the prevalence of obesity among children. Yet major problems remain. Diseases associated with obesity continue to incur substantial costs and cause widespread human suffering. In 2013 the IOM formed the Roundtable on Obesity Solutions to engage leadership from multiple sectors in addressing the obesity crisis. In January 2014, the roundtable held its first public workshop which featured presentations that described interventions designed to prevent and treat obesity in different settings.

While one of the many benefits of the U.S. food system is a safe, nutritious, and consistent food supply, that same system also places significant strain on land, water, air, and other natural resources. A better understanding of the food-environment synergies and trade-offs associated with the U.S. food system would be one way to help reduce this strain. Part of the challenge is that experts in the fields of nutrition, agricultural science, and natural resource use do not regularly collaborate with each other. In order to bring together experts in these fields, the IOM’s Food Forum and Roundtable on Environmental Health Sciences, Research, and Medicine held a workshop May 7-8, 2013.

On January 7, 2014, the newly formed Roundtable on Obesity Solutions of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) held its first public event, a half-day workshop titled “The Current State of Obesity Solutions in the United States.” The purpose of the roundtable, which includes representatives from public health, health care, government, the food industry, education, philanthropy, the nonprofit sector, and academia, is to engage leadership from multiple sectors to discuss potential solutions to the obesity crisis. Through meetings, public workshops, background papers, and innovation collaboratives, the roundtable will foster an ongoing dialogue about critical and emerging implementation, policy, and research topics to accelerate progress in obesity prevention and care.

Caffeine is arguably the most ingested pharmacologically active substance in the world and has been a part of many cultures for centuries. But the caffeine-in food landscape is quickly changing. Along with energy drinks and supplements, the array of new caffeine-containing products is rapidly expanding. Historically, scientific research has shown that moderate consumption naturally-occurring caffeine in coffee and tea by healthy adults is not associated with adverse health effects. However, the inclusion of caffeine in products such as soft drinks and other beverages, foods, and supplements raises concerns about safety, whether new products target populations not normally associated with high caffeine consumption – like children and adolescents – and whether caffeine poses a greater health risk to those populations. The IOM held a workshop August 5-6, 2013, to review the available science on safe levels of caffeine consumption in foods, beverages, and dietary supplements and to identify data gaps.