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AUGUST, 2008

Letter From The Director
Greetings!  

One of the great advantages to working with a diverse and powerful group like the Steering Committee of The Strategies to Overcome and Prevent (STOP) Obesity Alliance is being able to both create things as an alliance and amplify the individual efforts from each of our member organizations to take action to address obesity.

Take this week's 2008 "F as in Fat" report from Trust for America's Health (TFAH). In its fifth year of publication, the report shows continued growth of our nation's obesity epidemic - obesity numbers rose in 37 states.  More proof that the time for action and alignment in obesity policy is now.  We must address the lack of coordination in current state policy, which prevents policymakers from addressing America's obesity epidemic in an actionable way. 

This report reinforces the research and recommendations of the Alliance which recommends focus in four key areas where both the private and public sectors can impact the nation's ongoing struggle including: redefining successful weight loss as a five to 10 percent sustained reduction of current body weight; encouraging innovation and best practices in obesity treatment; addressing and reducing stigma; and broadening the research agenda for obesity.
 
Our hope is that TFAH's report will spur states to take a more aggressive look at their policies in Medicaid, schools and health insurance regulation to ensure that they have a comprehensive and consistent policy approach designed to address obesity and overweight directly.
 
Together - we can address this epidemic and give both patients and providers consistent policies, needed resources and perhaps, most importantly, hope.  

Sincerely,

Christine C. Ferguson, JD
Director, The STOP Obesity Alliance
Associate Research Professor
School of Public Health and Health Services
Department of Health Policy
The George Washington University
Christine Ferguson
In This Issue
Alliance Steering Committee Member News

News Round-Up


Alliance Steering Committee Member News
Trust for America's Health and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Release Fifth Annual "F as in Fat:  How Obesity Policies Are Failing in America" Report

The fifth annual "F as in Fat" report found that obesity rates in the U.S. have continued to rise, placing a burden on our healthcare system and our communities as a whole. Adult obesity rates increased in 37 states in the past year, rising for a second consecutive year in 24 states and for a third consecutive year in 19 states. No state saw a decrease.  The report found that many state and federal policies are missing critical components or require a more comprehensive approach to be truly effective. For example, the report found that twenty states explicitly do not cover nutritional assessment and consultation for obese adults under Medicaid.  The report concludes that although many promising policies have emerged to promote physical activity and good nutrition in communities, they are not being adopted or implemented at levels needed to turn around this health crisis.  For the full report, click here.
Obesity Society to Hold Policy Forums in Conjunction with National Party Conventions

The Obesity Society's annual policy conference - "The Challenge of Obesity for Policy Makers" - will be held in conjunction with both the Democratic and Republican National Party Conventions in Denver and Minneapolis, respectively.  It will feature roundtables of policymakers at both the national and local levels, in addition to representatives of the Party nominees.  For details regarding the events click here.
DMAA:  The Care Continuum Alliance to Host Third Annual Obesity Management Symposium as Part of "The Forum 08"

The Obesity Management Symposium will be held September 7 at the Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa in Hollywood, FL.  The workshop will focus on established and emerging approaches to preventing and managing obesity and its associated conditions.  Mary Kay Henry, International Executive Vice President, Service Employees International Union, will serve as keynote speaker.  The symposium is comprised of two educational sessions that will focus on resources for combating obesity and effective obesity management strategies.  For more information, click here.

AMGA to Host Institute for Quality Leadership Annual Meeting, "Transforming Quality Care"

AMGA's 2008 Institute for Quality Leadership, "Transforming Quality Care" will be held September 24-27 at The Adolphus in Dallas, TX.  The meeting will explore concrete ways of transforming healthcare delivery, providing attendees with tools and strategies for innovating ambulatory care delivery and achieving lasting changes in quality patient care.  STOP Obesity Alliance Chairperson, Christine Ferguson, JD, will speak September 27 from 10 am - 12 pm on "The Obesity Epidemic:  Implications and Solutions," highlighting the Alliance's policy recommendations.  Her presentation will be followed by examples of how two well-known integrated delivery systems are leading the field in obesity treatment for their patients.  For more information, click here.

News Round-Up
"All U.S. Adults Could Be Overweight in 40 Years"
August 6, 2008 
Reuters
Amy Norton 
 
A government-funded study published in the journal Obesity suggests that if the trends of the past three decades continue, 86 percent of American adults will be overweight by 2030, with an obesity rate of 51 percent. By 2048, all U.S. adults could be at least mildly overweight. According to researchers at Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the findings highlight a need for widespread efforts to improve Americans' lifestyles and keep their weight in check. They added that broader social changes such as making communities more pedestrian-friendly or getting the food industry to offer healthier, calorie-conscious choices are needed as well.
August 13, 2008
Associated Press Newswires

Argentine senators have approved a bill declaring obesity and other eating disorders diseases covered by the nation's public and private healthcare programs. The lawmakers unanimously backed the "Obesity Law," saying that fighting obesity, anorexia and bulimia is in the national interest. Patients can now seek treatment under Argentine health programs. The law also prohibits the media from releasing diets that are not backed by a health professional and requires that high-calorie foods carry a warning label. 
"Los Angeles Stages a Fast Food Intervention" 
August 13, 2008
The New York Times
Kim Severson
 
The Los Angeles City Council rolled out a new weapon in the battle against obesity last month when it decided to stop new fast food restaurants from opening in some of the city's poorest neighborhoods. The councilwoman behind the moratorium, Jan Perry, says the ban's intent is not to crush food choices, but to encourage variety and give residents more nutritious options. The National Restaurant Association, which opposes the ban, agrees that government has a stake in the size of Americans. Taxpayers increasingly must pay for the health costs associated with poor diets and obesity. But, said John Gay of the association, lawmakers can go too far.
"Excess Pounds May Be Contagious"
August 8, 2008
Reuters
Anne Harding
 
Research presented at the National Bureau of Economic Research conference suggests that obesity may be contagious because most people feel good about themselves if they are about as heavy as the people around them. According to researchers at University of Warwick, this could explain the rapid rise in the prevalence of overweight around the world. That is, the norm that most people compare themselves to has become fatter and fatter, feeding a cycle of "imitative obesity." 
GWU School of Public Health and Health Services
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