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November, 2009

Letter From The Director
Greetings!
  
Seasons Greetings!  This time of year is usually filled with joy and cheer, but many among us are finding it challenging to celebrate amidst a tough economic climate and high unemployment.  And we just learned that the number of Americans facing food insecurity has reached a record high.  

It seems completely counter-intuitive that in a country with a growing obesity epidemic, millions of Americans also have problems with securing enough food.  But, according to the USDA, nearly 50 million people struggled last year to get enough food, and access to adequate amounts of food has deteriorated significantly among families with children.  At the same time, the obesity rate has climbed nearly two percentage points since last September.  It would appear that Americans have resorted to cheaper, less healthful food options during the recession.
 
This irony illustrates the complexities involved in obesity and food policy issues.  We certainly can't stop eating because we need food to survive, yet access to too much of the wrong kinds of foods can make us sick.  We have to work toward creating an environment where access to healthful foods is available and affordable to all Americans.
 
A recent analysis by Dr. Kenneth Thorpe projects that close to 50 percent of Americans will be obese within the next eight years in the worst case scenario and that related costs will more than double.
 
And while these two storylines seem doomed to intersect into a negative spiral, their combined presence might also become part of a positive tipping point. 

Strong and equitable food policies and improved health literacy might help us make progress in both the fight to end hunger and to reduce obesity.  As we give thanks this holiday season, let's remember those in our country who are struggling to meet their very basic needs as well as those who lack the resources to make choices that could mean a better quality of life.  They are counting on the work of groups like the STOP Obesity Alliance to make a difference. 
  
 
Sincerely,

Christine C. Ferguson, J.D.
Director, STOP Obesity Alliance
Research Professor
School of Public Health and Health Services
Department of Health Policy
The George Washington University		 Christine Ferguson
In This Issue
Alliance & Member News
News Round-Up

Alliance & Member News

Alliance Primary Care Roundtable Summary Now Available Online
A summary of the Alliance's primary care roundtable discussion is now available on the Alliance's Web site.  The roundtable explored the role of primary care in obesity treatment through discussion of key differences between pediatric and adult health care delivery systems, barriers preventing optimal care in the adult primary care setting and the role of care coordination and electronic medical records in improving chronic disease management.  Additionally, the Alliance is developing a paper that will discuss innovative primary care approaches to be available on the Web site in the coming months.  Click here to get more information on the roundtable and download the transcript summary.    
 
Alliance Welcomes New Associate Members
The STOP Obesity Alliance recently welcomed the Black Women's Health Imperative (Imperative), the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), the National Hispanic Medical Association (NHMA) and the National Indian Health Board (NIHB) as its newest Associate Members.  The Imperative is a national nonprofit organization committed to advocating for and contributing to the health and well-being of the nation's 19.5 million Black women and girls.  NASW is the largest membership organization for professional social workers in the world, with nearly 150,000 members.  NHMA, a nonprofit association that represents 36,000 licensed Hispanic physicians in the United States, serves to improve the health of Hispanics and other underserved populations.  NIHB advocates on behalf of all Tribal Governments, American Indians and Alaska Natives in their efforts to provide quality health care for all Indian people.  Click here for more information on these and other Alliance Associate Members.  
  
Dr. Kenneth Thorpe Releases Analysis on the Future Economic Impact of Obesity
Research released by Dr. Kenneth Thorpe this month estimates obesity prevalence and costs at the state and national level 10 years from now.  Findings revealed that if current trends continue, 43 percent of U.S. adults will be obese by 2018 and obesity spending will rise to $344 billion by the same time.  However, if obesity rates hold at current levels, the country will save almost $200 billion in health care costs.  The study, "The Future Cost of Obesity: National and State Estimates of the Impact of Obesity on Direct Health Care Expenses," was commissioned by the UnitedHealth Foundation, Alliance Steering Committee Member Partnership for Prevention and the American Public Health Association, in conjunction with its annual America's Health Rankings report.  For more information and access to the study, click here.  Also, view the full America's Health Rankings series here.

AHA Receives Award for Childhood Obesity Advocacy Campaign  
Earlier this month, the American Heart Association (AHA) received an honorable mention at the PRNews Non-Profit PR Awards for its FIT Kids Act press event on Capitol Hill in March.  NFL players from the Baltimore Ravens and Washington Redskins, Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank, and obesity expert Dr. Kenneth Cooper teamed up with Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), U.S. Reps. Ron Kind (D-WI), Zach Wamp (R-TN) and Jay Inslee (D-WA), and representatives from the AHA and National Association for Sport and Physical Education for a press conference to call for passage of the Fitness Integrated with Teaching (FIT) Kids Act.  The act serves to combat childhood obesity by strengthening physical education programs in schools and would amend the No Child Left Behind Act.  For more information on the event and the FIT Kids Act, click here. 
 
AHA 2009 Scientific Sessions Unveil New Research
The American Heart Association (AHA) held its annual Scientific Sessions November 14-18 in Orlando, FL. Topics included groundbreaking studies in the practice of cardiovascular medicine and new approaches for cardiovascular disease biomarkers.  One obesity-specific study showed that adults' blood pressure and blood sugar levels are continuing to rise, fueled in large part by expanding waistlines.  Click here for more information on the Scientific Sessions and here to read news releases from the meeting.  
 
ADA Holds Third Annual Disparities Conference
Community leaders from across the country came together for the American Diabetes Association's (ADA) two-day forum, "Uniting in the Fight Against Type 2 Diabetes and Obesity," held November 18-19 in Arlington, VA.  The forum was developed to facilitate dialogue among leaders from key national organizations regarding the urgency of the Type 2 diabetes and obesity epidemics in specific populations in the United States including: American Indians, African Americans, Latinos/Hispanics and Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders.  Garth Graham, M.D., M.P.H., deputy assistant secretary, Office of Minority Health, gave an opening keynote address and Dr. Kyu Rhee, chief public health officer, Health Resources and Services Administration, provided closing remarks.  Click here for more information about the event. 

TFAH Releases Poll Showing Americans Support Prevention Efforts in Health Reform
Trust for America's Health (TFAH) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation recently released results of a public opinion survey that found 71 percent of Americans favor an increased investment in disease prevention.  The poll, which reflects the responses from 1,008 registered voters, was conducted by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research and Public Opinion Strategies from November 2-5.  Click here to learn more about the survey.  
 
DMAA Publishes Fourth Volume of Outcomes Guidelines Report
DMAA: The Care Continuum Alliance (DMAA) recently published a fourth volume of its industry-consensus guidelines for measuring wellness and population health management program outcomes.  The Guidelines include new material and key recommendations from the previous three volumes.  To download the full Guidelines, please click here. 
 
CEO Will Hold Obesity Workshop for Congressional Staffers
The Campaign to End Obesity will hold a workshop on December 10 entitled "Preventing and Tackling Obesity in Minority Communities" that will help members of Congress, staff and representatives of key House and Senate committees identify promising policies for addressing obesity among vulnerable communities.  Experts from public health and industry will discuss replicable strategies for improving access to nutritious foods, enhancing opportunities for physical activity and expanding community initiatives to prevent or reverse obesity in minority populations.  Experts from the Campaign's Advisory Council, such as the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Center to Prevent Childhood Obesity, will help shape the discussion.  The workshop will be held on Thursday, December 10 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Capitol Visitor Center, Congressional Meeting Room South.  If you have any questions about the event or would like to request an RSVP, please contact Amy Takeuchi Wanlass at amy@obesitycampaign.org or (202) 466-8100. 

News Round-Up
November 18, 2009
The Wall Street Journal
Jane Zhang
 
Amid a wealth of programs to encourage healthy habits, a YMCA course designed especially for people with pre-diabetes is offered at about a dozen YMCAs in Indiana, Kentucky and Minnesota.  The program is part of a pilot effort partly funded by the federal government to find cost-effective ways to slow the spread of diabetes.  Now, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is drawing up plans to expand the offerings, as several health care reform bills making their way through Congress allocate billions of dollars to promote disease prevention and wellness.
 
November 17, 2009
HealthDay News
Amanda Gardner
 
Surging obesity rates, especially among children, may be putting the brakes on progress made in the past few decades against heart disease, researchers report.  And it doesn't help that many obese or overweight Americans still consider their weight "normal," as one study found.  One of several studies on the subject of obesity presented Tuesday at the American Heart Association annual meeting found that adults' blood pressure and blood sugar levels are continuing to rise, fueled in large part by expanding waistlines.
 
Primary Care's Image Problem
November 12, 2009
The New York Times
Pauline W. Chen, M.D.
 
Chen discusses primary care's image problem, noting that a series of factors including medical students' debt, future income potential and lifestyle all conspire to steer students away from primary care and into specialized fields.  Chen says the key problem lies in the image of primary care as a group of doctors who do not stand on the forefront of creative change and who are continually left holding the biggest bag of administrative expectations and clinical care coordination and demands.  Discussion that occurred at the annual meeting of the Association of American Medical Colleges this month suggests there are changes in store for primary care. 
November 12, 2009
TIME
Alice Park
 
Scientists have long known that diet, exercise and genetics are not the only factors that adequately explain every case of obesity, and now researchers are discovering convincing evidence of another important contributor to body weight: the bacteria that live in the human gut.  It's not clear whether the balance of gut bugs causes weight gain or is a result of it, but findings suggest that a "gut profile" could potentially serve as a diagnostic tool for identifying who might have a propensity for obesity. 
 
Fighting Obesity May Take a Village
November 10, 2009
The Wall Street Journal
Matthew Dalton
 
Temptations of modern life have sent obesity rates around the world soaring and now, government officials in a number of countries are pursuing an aggressive new strategy: enlisting entire communities to insulate people from these temptations and make healthier choices easier.  Instead of hoping that individuals can muster the self-discipline on their own to avoid processed foods, fast food and days without physical exercise, the idea is that governments must actively work to change environments and reduce the menu of harmful options available in everyday life.   
 
Teen Obesity: Lack of Exercise May Not Be to Blame
November 9, 2009
TIME
Alice Park
 
Obesity rates among U.S. adolescents have skyrocketed, tripling from 1976 to 2004.  Public health experts and obesity researchers attribute the trend in part to kids' increasingly sedentary lifestyles; however, a new study from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health published in the journal Obesity Reviews, found that the amount of physical activity among U.S. teens has not changed significantly over the past two decades.  Dr. Youfa Wang, associate professor at the Center for Human Nutrition at Hopkins and lead author of the study, says that the findings suggest that physical activity is not a good explanation for the increase in prevalence of obesity.
 
Obesity Linked to Specific Cancers
November 5, 2009
USA Today
Nanci Hellmich
 
About 100,500 new cases of cancer are caused by obesity every year, according to the most comprehensive attempt ever to estimate the cancers attributed to extra weight.  The analysis, released by the American Institute for Cancer Research, is based on updated cancer data and a report released earlier this year by a panel of experts.  Among the types of cancer most strongly linked to excess body fat are breast, endometrial, kidney, colorectal, pancreas, esophagus and gallbladder. 
 
Six Common Myths and Misconceptions About Diabetes
November 5, 2009
U.S. News & World Report
January Payne
 
The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recently surveyed more than 2,000 Americans about the most common misconceptions regarding diabetes.  In this article, Sue McLaughlin, president of health care and education at the ADA, offered her opinion of what she says are the six most common myths and misconceptions.
 
Tighter Belts Mean Thicker Waists
November 1, 2009
The Wall Street Journal
Jennifer Waters
 
As the unemployment rate inches toward 10 percent and U.S. consumers continue to find themselves strapped for cash, many are turning to cheaper fare to better balance their budgets.  That often means that Americans are turning to fast food and processed foods that are higher in fat and calories and made with refined grains and sugars. The result: more Americans are gaining weight and becoming more at risk of getting illnesses such as diabetes.
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The Strategies to Overcome and Prevent (STOP) Obesity Alliance receives funding from its sponsors, sanofi-aventis U.S. LLC, founding sponsor, and Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc., supporting sponsor.

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