A planning committee of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine will organize a one-day public workshop that will feature invited presentations and discussions to build on a previous workshop on complex systems science by exploring (1) various modeling approaches that could guide future obesity research and action, and (2) the structures needed to support the use of these approaches for researchers and policy and programmatic decision-makers across society.

Workshop presentations will provide examples of systems applications (e.g., participatory modeling, group model building, system dynamics, social network analysis, network science, cost effectiveness, and agent-based modeling) related to ongoing obesity research studies. The workshop will feature examples of how various types of modeling can inform decision-making within policy and programming areas (e.g., highlighting the application and evaluation of these models in research and practice).

Presentations will also include discussions about the support structures (e.g., data sources, system/modeling expertise and resources, training, partnerships and collaborations, effective communications) to encourage and engage researchers and decision-makers in using systems modeling techniques as an approach for better understanding of the obesity epidemic – both causes and solutions – more effectively and efficiently.

The planning committee will organize and conduct the workshop, select and invite speakers and discussants, and moderate the discussions as needed. It is expected that speakers will be identified across disciplines, and not exclusive to the obesity field. Following the workshop, HMD staff will post the slides and video recordings of the workshop to the activity website. A Proceedings of a workshop—in brief and full workshop proceedings of the presentations and discussions at the workshop—will be prepared by a designated rapporteur in accordance with institutional guidelines.