Identify the optimal approaches to comprehensive health education programs for children and young adults to promote lifelong activity. Research is needed that provides a better understanding of the tracking of activity into the early adult years, the types of programs that foster lifelong activity, and the components of programs that foster adequate levels of physical activity to maintain a healthy weight through the adult years.

Identify strategies to make the work environment and social environments conducive to increased activity.

Identify how best to implement counseling for physical activity and weight management into routine, ongoing medical care.

Translate the health benefits of weight maintenance through the adult years into health messages that motivate population-based strategies for the maintenance of healthy weight.

Identify strategies that can be used to reinforce behavioral changes that will promote and sustain a healthy weight.

Conduct long-term clinical intervention studies to alter behavioral patterns that may influence weight gain.

Identify the underlying causes of racial-ethnic and socioeconomic differences in obesity, and evaluate methods that deliver effective interventions to reduce disparities.

Conduct community-based intervention studies involving public and private partners (e.g., employers, food and fitness industry) to prevent weight gain and promote healthy diet and physical activity.

Develop useful methods for implementing shared decision making as applied to cancer screening. Given the growing number of cancer screening tests for which shared decision making is recommended, there is a growing need to answer questions surrounding the appropriateness, feasibility, and proper methods of this form of counseling.

Identify the underlying causes of racial-ethnic and socioeconomic disparities in the use of screening tests, and evaluate methods for the delivery of screening tests to reduce such disparities.

Encourage research to ensure that screening is performed well—with proper timing, technique, follow-up, and repeat screening—and that all eligible persons are screened.

Examine opportunities to increase rates of access to cancer screening in non-clinical venues such as worksites.

Evaluate the success of state and local health departments in using state and local estimates of screening use to target areas (and providers)