Public-private partnerships: the evolving role of industry funding in nutrition research.

The global burdens of morbidity and mortality associated with obesity-related chronic diseases are crippling public health and are predicted to exponentially increase over the next 3 decades. Meanwhile, the resources necessary to conduct research that may offer solutions to the obesity epidemic continue to decline and funding has become increasingly difficult to secure. Alternative models for funding nutrition and health research are necessary to make considerable and timely progress to improve public health. Key stakeholders include, but are not limited to, government agencies, foundations, private industry, and nongovernmental organizations.