Several specific population interventions that achieved a Class I or IIa recommendation with grade A or B evidence were identified , providing a set of specific evidence -based strategies that deserve close attention and prioritization for wider implementation .
Effective interventions included specific approaches in all 6 domains evaluated for improving diet , increasing activity , and reducing tobacco use .
The writing group also identified several specific interventions in each of these domains for which current evidence was less robust , as well as other inconsistencies and evidence gaps , informing the need for further rigorous and interdisciplinary approaches to evaluate population programs and policies .
This systematic review identified and grade d the evidence for a range of population -based strategies to promote lifestyle change .
BACKGROUND Poor lifestyle behaviors , including suboptimal diet , physical inactivity , and tobacco use , are leading causes of preventable diseases globally .
Although even modest population shifts in risk substantially alter health outcomes , the optimal population -level approaches to improve lifestyle are not well established .
Weight status and restaurant availability a multilevel analysis.
BACKGROUND Empiric studies find that context ual factors affect individual weight status over and above individual socioeconomic characteristics . Given increasing levels of obesity , research ers are examining how the food environment contributes to unhealthy weight status . An important change to this environment is the increasing availability of away-from-home eating establishments such as restaurants . METHODS This study analyzed the relationship between the  restaurant environment and weight status across counties in the United States . Individual data from the 2002 - 2006 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System ( N=714,054 ) were linked with  restaurant data from the 2002 U.S. Economic Census . Fast-food and full-service restaurant density , along with restaurant mix ( the ratio of fast-food to full-service restaurants ) , were assessed . RESULTS Fast-food restaurant density and a higher ratio of fast-food to full-service restaurants were associated with higher individual-level weight status ( BMI and the risk of being obese ) . In contrast , a higher density of full-service restaurants was associated with lower weight status . CONCLUSIONS Area-level restaurant mix emerged as an important correlate of weight status , with components of the restaurant environment exhibiting differential associations . Hence , it is the availability of fast-food relative to other away-from-home choices that appears salient for unhealthy weight outcomes . Areas with a high density of full-service restaurants were indicative of a more healthful eating environment , suggesting a need for research into the comparative healthfulness of foods served at different types of restaurants . Future prospect i ve studies are required to delineate causal pathways
Several specific population interventions that achieved a Class I or IIa recommendation with grade A or B evidence were identified , providing a set of specific evidence -based strategies that deserve close attention and prioritization for wider implementation .
Effective interventions included specific approaches in all 6 domains evaluated for improving diet , increasing activity , and reducing tobacco use .
The writing group also identified several specific interventions in each of these domains for which current evidence was less robust , as well as other inconsistencies and evidence gaps , informing the need for further rigorous and interdisciplinary approaches to evaluate population programs and policies .
This systematic review identified and grade d the evidence for a range of population -based strategies to promote lifestyle change .
BACKGROUND Poor lifestyle behaviors , including suboptimal diet , physical inactivity , and tobacco use , are leading causes of preventable diseases globally .
Although even modest population shifts in risk substantially alter health outcomes , the optimal population -level approaches to improve lifestyle are not well established .