Weight-Control Information Network

The Weight-control Information Network (WIN) is an information service of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), which is one of the National Institutes of Health, which is part of the U.S. Public Health Service within the Department of Health and Human Services. The NIDDK provides scientifically based, current information about obesity, weight control, physical activity, and related issues to the general public, health professionals, the media, and Congress. Besides the WIN Web site, WIN maintains offices in Bethesda, Maryland, and a toll-free telephone line.

[Page 789]The WIN Web site includes a summary of basic information about overweight and obesity in the United States, including definitions of overweight and obesity, a body mass index (BMI) table, prevalence and economic costs of overweight and obesity, and the prevalence and costs of physical inactivity. This information draws primarily on federal surveys, which are cited. A link to information about the National Nutritional Monitoring Program of the National Center for Health Statistics is also provided. More technical information for researchers, including links to current programs, clinical trials, and funding initiatives is also provided through the WIN Web site.

WIN produces a number of publications about obesity for the general public and for healthcare professionals; some materials are available in Spanish as well as English. WIN Notes is an electronic newsletter for health professionals which reports on activities of the NIDDK Clinical Obesity Research Panel, lists resources available from various organizations, and reports the latest information on obesity and related topics for NIDDK and other organizations. The newsletter is delivered by email and subscription is free; instructions on how to subscribe and newsletter archives dating back to 1996 are available from the WIN Web site.

WIN pamphlets are available for free download in .pdf format from the WIN Web site, and up to 25 hard copies of WIN publications may be ordered for free using an order form available on the WIN Web site. A number of videotaped lectures on topics related to obesity and nutrition, which were originally delivered between 1992 and 1996, may be ordered from WIN.

Typical WIN pamphlets produced for the general public include Active at Any Size (a guide to exercise for the overweight individual), Choosing a Safe and Successful Weight-Loss Program, Dieting and Gallstones (explains the risks of both overweight and rapid weight loss related to developing gallstones), Improving Your Health: Tips for African-American Men and Women, Just Enough for You: About Food Portions (which explains serving sizes in terms of common objects, and explains strategies for portion control), and Take Charge of Your Health! A Guide for Teenagers. Popular materials available in Spanish include Camina … Un Pas en la Dirección Correct (Walking … A Step in the Right Direction) and the series Cómo Alimentarse y Mantenerse Activo Durante Toda la Vida (Healthy Eating and Physical Activity across Your Life Span). Publications produced for healthcare professionals include Gastrointestinal Surgery for Severe Obesity, Longitudinal Assessment of Bariatric Surgery, Prescription Medications for the Treatment of Obesity, and Talking with Patients about Weight Loss: Tips for Primary Care Professionals.

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