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October, 2008

Letter From The Director
 Greetings!,
 
At this point, it seems there's no getting around it: we're in for tough economic times.  And unfortunately, that will have a big impact on our own efforts to take on the obesity epidemic. 

Overweight and obesity already cost the country an estimated $92.6 billion, and up to $117 billion when considering both direct and indirect costs, annually. Research has shown that poverty and unemployment lead to higher rates of obesity and related conditions.  When times get tight, people become less likely to take advantage of the preventative health measures that we encourage: people put off doctor's check-ups, they cancel gym memberships and they may start looking toward quick and cheap foods, rather than fresh, nutritious meals. 
 
If you want an example, look no further than KFC's new "$10 Challenge" advertising campaign, which aims to convince viewers that it's cheaper to buy a family fried chicken dinner from KFC than it is to buy the ingredients at a grocery store.  This campaign encourages the kind of "convenience culture" that is so closely linked to sedentary behaviors. Worst of all, it directly preys on the financial worries facing so many families today, with an offering that is hardly healthy for the family.
 
The prognosis for businesses isn't much better.  As employees find themselves under more financial pressure, taking steps to take care of themselves can become more difficult, resulting in productivity taking a major hit.  Sick days can pile up, and company healthcare expenses can rise.
 
And so, even with all of the progress we've made, the economic climate stands to become another hurdle blocking our efforts to overcome and prevent overweight and obesity. 
 
If there is a time when a group like the STOP Obesity Alliance can make a difference, that time is now.  With people more at risk and less equipped to handle the financial pressures associated with obesity and related illnesses, it's critical for the Alliance not to lose the momentum we've picked up this year.
 
The key will be to continue to leverage the combined expertise of our membership.  Consistently drawing upon the perspectives, the expertise and the contributions of our diverse and powerful alliance is the single best way to get this debate to the forefront, regardless of who the president is, or the state of our national economy.
 
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
Steering Committee Member News

News Round-Up


Steering Committee Member News

DMAA:  The Care Continuum Alliance Launches Obesity Toolkit

DMAA held a successful Webinar Monday, October 20 to launch its obesity toolkit, featuring the following speakers: Sarah Sampsel, MPH, research scientist, National Committee for Quality Assurance; Joesph Yaskin, MSS, project manager, Department of Health Policy, Thomas Jefferson University; and Victor Villagra, MD, FACP, president, Health & Technology Vector Inc. The toolkit offers an approach to designing an obesity benefit, called the Value-Based Benefit Design for Obesity and Comorbidities: A Practical Manual.  The manual and supporting documents, designed by DMAA with support from sanofi-aventis and Health & Technology Vector, summarizes high-quality information about benefit designs through the Obesity Factbook; describes an approach to benefit design, the Project Design Monograph; and offers an actuarial format, the Obesity Rider Pricing Template.  The tool is meant to both compress the time it would take to develop a future benefit plan and guide organizations to interventions that are supported by scientific evidence and national practice guidelines. For more information or to download the toolkit click here
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National Business Group on Health Releases Survey Indicating Workers Want Employers Help to Get and Stay Healthy
 
National Business Group on Health recently released a survey of more than 1,500 U.S. workers showing that 88% of employees have taken steps to improve their health within the past year or have been regularly doing so for more than a year, but 47% said work demands are preventing them from living a healthier life. Workers indicated that they want employers' help in getting healthier, with 59% of workers surveyed indicating they would participate in an onsite health screening, 53% would enroll in a weight management program and 52% would see a worksite health care provider.

News Round-Up
Federal Guidelines Say Americans Should Pick a Physical Activity They Can Stick With
WebMD Health News
Todd Zwillich
October 7, 2008

The advisory panel that authored the federal guidelines recommended daily physical activity for nearly all Americans. Children and adolescents, they said, should get at least one hour of physical activity each day, with more intense exercise on at least three days out of the week.

Top Sick Day Illnesses Might Surprise You
The Wall Street Journal Health Blog
Anna Wilde Mathews
October 8, 2008
 
In a list of common conditions and behaviors contained in a forthcoming survey by the HR consulting firm Watson Wyatt Worldwide, heart disease, with 30% of survey respondents, was the most common condition causing people to miss 10 or more days of work. Next highest by that measure was diabetes at 22%. For depression, the figure was 18%, while high blood pressure and stress/anxiety were a bit lower.

Firms Offer Payouts to Those Who Work Out
The Washington Post
Christopher J. Gearon
October 14, 2008
 
A recent Kaiser Family Foundation survey found that nearly 80% of large firms offering wellness programs believe they improve health, and 68% say they reduce costs. Even though some experts contend these estimates are overly upbeat, many large companies, including several local employers, are adding financial incentives to their wellness and disease management efforts
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GWU School of Public Health and Health Services
The Strategies to Overcome & Prevent Obesity Alliance is sponsored by sanofi-aventis U.S. LLC.
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