Abstract
For the past decade, debates have ensued about how scientists generally can better participate in the establishment of good communication and public policy. At the 2012 annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, a group of European scientists sounded a call to action-for scientists to more actively engage in policy discussions on "difficult to communicate issues of global significance." This article lays out and analyzes, in some detail, that group's discussion and strategic recommendations for accomplishing a more effective scientific engagement in policymaking affecting public health. Among these recommendations is a call for the scientific community to embrace a more holistic and inclusive approach to connecting with the public and with policymakers on critical issues of science-utilizing, for example, sociology and psychology in appreciating how the public and policymakers hear and understand science. It is a clarion call that has significant implications for nutrition and health science. A further recommendation of the group is that scientists target messages to all stakeholders in a given issue-from policymakers to government agencies to public activists and to industry.