Overweight and obesity in Australia has risen at an alarming
rate over the last 20 years as in other industrialised countries
around the world, yet the policy response, locally and globally,
has been limited. Using a childhood obesity summit held in
Australia in 2002 as a case study, this paper examines how
evidence was used in setting the agenda, influencing the Summit
debate and shaping the policy responses which emerged. The study
used multiple methods of data collection including documentary
analysis, key informant interviews, a focus group discussion and
media analysis. The resulting data were content analysed to
examine the types of evidence used in the Summit and how the
state of the evidence base contributed to policy-making.
Empirical research evidence concerning the magnitude of the
problem was widely reported and largely uncontested in the media
and in the Summit debates. In contrast, the evidence base for
action was mostly opinion and ideas as empirical data was
lacking. Opinions and ideas were ge