About

Challenge

Rates of obesity continue to increase in every country worldwide, and over 40% of adults and 19% of children in the U.S. now have obesity. This is a global crisis not only because obesity causes premature death and serious health problems, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and stroke, but also because obesity is an underlying driver of an even broader set of societal problems, including high rates of disability, inefficiency and absenteeism in the workforce, rising health care costs, stigmatization, and bullying.

Why Tufts?

Tufts has over 40 faculty members at the university and medical center, along with graduate students, who are conducting obesity research from basic science to societal solutions. In particular, our strengths in intervention research, biomedical sciences, active citizenship, and global connections are components that Tufts uniquely offers and are critical to building an innovative obesity collaborative. Together, Tufts University and Tufts Medical Center, with their strengths in obstetrics, pediatrics, and obesity treatment, play a central role in preventing and reversing obesity to create a healthier, more productive population with important benefits for local communities, global economies, and planetary health.

Mission

Our mission is to make high-impact discoveries that support training and actionable solutions to the global obesity crisis.

Vision

We aspire to be a leading collaborative for global obesity research, to publish research in the highest impact journals, attract new faculty, train students and fellows, integrate civic and real-world engagement and significantly increase our funding through grants and innovative revenue generation models.

Inclusion

TIGOR places utmost importance on diversity and inclusion. TIGOR promotes avoidance of weight bias and stigmatization, including through use of appropriate, sensitive, and respectful language and images.

Resources

Here are resources for researchers and community members in support of solutions to the global obesity crisis and measurable impact.

See Resources