Letter From The Director
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As I write this, the Senate is passing a health reform bill. For those of us involved in health care, this year and next will long be remembered as a critical turning point in the evolution of our health care system.
Throughout the debate, the Alliance continued its work to emphasize the importance of redefining success in weight loss and the need to implement policies to help the millions of Americans fighting obesity. It didn't take a very deep dive into the numbers to see that we can't truly reform health care in America without addressing obesity. The Alliance's health reform recommendations served as a call to action for policymakers to include obesity measures in health reform legislation.
I am encouraged that some policymakers are taking up the charge - from considering proposals that include key obesity-specific elements that are in sync with Alliance recommendations to the resolution calling for Childhood Obesity Awareness Month put forth by Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-OH). These positive steps are a good start - but there is still much to be done and action must be taken quickly. Recent research has shown that the rise of obesity threatens to undermine the tremendous progress made on several public health fronts.
A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine says that the ever-rising obesity epidemic could erase the positive effects America was making in life expectancy gained from declining smoking rates. There have been similar findings that show obesity will reverse the decrease in breast cancer deaths and continue to increase the prevalence of diabetes and heart disease.
We know that overweight and obesity prevalence have increased over the past three decades and that projections now show that by 2030, 86 percent of adults will be overweight or obese. It's a growth rate that is simply unsustainable and continued inaction will clearly lead to a domino effect of increasing numbers of those suffering from chronic disease with worsening health outcomes.
Moving forward, the Alliance resolves to continue to educate public and private sector decision makers and the public about the importance of approaching obesity from the perspective of better health. We also will continue to encourage policy solutions and to conduct research that will help illuminate the path toward reversing this dangerous trend.
In addition, I want to thank each of you for the support and encouragement you have shown the Alliance over the last year as we have attempted to move this issue forward. While I've never had much success in the prediction business, I can confidently predict that we'll need it all again in 2010.
Best wishes for a happy and healthy New Year.
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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 |
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Alliance & Member News
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Alliance Supports National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month Resolution
The Alliance has joined more than 40 organizations, including several Alliance Steering Committee and Associate Members, to support a resolution introduced by Rep. Marcia L. Fudge (D-OH) to designate September as Childhood Obesity Awareness Month. The resolution was announced this month alongside the NFL, the NFL Players Association and the foundation of Washington Redskins' player, London Fletcher.
Deadline to Submit Proposals for TOS Symposia Sessions Approaching
The Obesity Society (TOS) is now accepting proposals for scientific sessions at Obesity 2010, the 28th Annual Scientific Meeting of The Obesity Society, scheduled for October 8-12, 2010 in San Diego, Calif. Symposia proposals should address one or more of the following thematic tracks: Cellular and Molecular Biology; Integrative Biology; Clinical Studies; Population Studies; and, Clinical/Professional Practice. The general guidelines and instructions to submit a proposal via the submission Web site are available here. The deadline for submission is January 8, 2010 at 12 p.m. EST.
ACPM to Host Preventive Medicine 2010
Preventive Medicine 2010, the annual meeting of the American College of Preventive Medicine (ACPM), will be held February 17-20, 2010 in Crystal City, Va. The meeting will include sessions on Clinical Preventive/Lifestyle Medicine, Public Health Practice, Prevention Policy and Career Development within three conference tracks. Preventive Medicine 2010 will include sessions on quality and will be held in conjunction with Medical Quality 2010, the annual meeting of the American College of Medical Quality. Click here for more information about the meeting.
Join NACDD for 2010 Chronic Disease Academy
National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD) will host its 2010 Chronic Disease Academy February 17-19, 2010 in Orlando, Fla. The course content will be based on the NACDD Competencies for Chronic Disease Practice, which define the skills and knowledge identified as specific to leading and managing chronic disease programs that improve the health of the public. The course will give attendees information on building support for disease prevention and control, designing and evaluating programs and more. Click here for more information about the Academy.
Registration Now Open for NBGH Annual Business Health Agenda 2010 ConferenceRegistration has opened for the National Business Group on Health (NBGH) annual corporate health benefits conference that will be held March 10-12, 2010 in Washington, D.C. "Business Health Agenda 2010: Redesigning Benefits and Health Care in an Era of Reform," will feature sessions on the implications of health reform for employer plans, employer successes in redesigning health care delivery, employee wellness in an era of health reform and high-performing health systems. The conference will also feature discussion on the highlights of the annual National Business Group on Health/Watson Wyatt Employer Survey of Health Benefit Trends. Click here for more information and to register for the conference.
ASMBS Launches Online Course for Surgeons and Health ProfessionalsAmerican Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) launched "Obesity Compendium," an online course that provides more than 26 hours of essential lectures, case studies, debates and video clips for surgeons, physicians and other clinicians involved in the care and treatment of bariatric surgery patients. The course features content from more than 60 faculty from around the world. Click here for a course overview and more information on registration. |
News Round-Up
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Women Closing Gender Gap
December 16, 2009
Los Angeles Times
Shari Roan
*Link goes to article as carried on ChicagoTribune.com
Middle-age men still have higher rates of heart attacks and heart disease than middle-age women, but those gender differences appear to be narrowing, a study finds. Women have been thought to be largely protected from heart attacks and stroke prior to menopause due to hormonal influences. But the rising rate of obesity, which is higher in middle-age women than middle-age men, could undermine that natural benefit, according to a new study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
Discovery of New Gene Called Brd2 That Regulates Obesity and Diabetes
December 14, 2009
ScienceDaily
Findings published in The Biochemical Journal show that the discovery of a genetic mutation has given researchers at Boston University School of Medicine new insights into the cellular mechanisms that link obesity to Type 2 diabetes. The mutation caused mice to gain enormous amounts of weight but protected them from diabetes.
NIH Launches Program to Develop Innovative Approaches to Combat Obesity
December 10, 2009
NIH News
The National Institutes of Health launched a $37 million program that will use findings from basic research on human behavior to develop more effective interventions to reduce obesity. The program, "Translating Basic Behavioral and Social Science Discoveries into Interventions to Reduce Obesity," will fund interdisciplinary teams of researchers at seven research sites and focus on diverse populations at high risk of being overweight or obese, including Latino and African-American adults, African-American adolescents, low-income populations, pregnant women and women in the menopausal transition.
Obesity Linked with Poorer Breast Cancer Outcomes
December 10, 2009
Science Daily
Recent research finds that breast cancer patients with a high body mass index have a poorer cancer prognosis later in life. Specifically, their treatment effect does not last as long and their risk of death increases. The study, released at the CTRC-AACR Annual San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, used the Danish Breast Cancer Cooperative Group database to evaluate health information -- such as status at diagnosis, tumor size, malignancy grade, number of lymph nodes removed, estrogen receptor status, treatment regimen -- from almost 54,000 women.
Decrease in Smoking Extends Life Span, but Obesity May Curb Gains
December 3, 2009
Health.com
Sarah Klein
According to estimates published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the typical 18-year-old will gain 0.31 years due to the drop in smoking rates (above and beyond life span increases caused by other factors) by 2020. However, the increase in obesity rates during the same period will reduce life expectancy by nearly one year.
Should Vending Machines Post Calorie Counts?
December 2, 2009
The Wall Street Journal
Jacob Goldstein
The healthcare bills in both the House and Senate would require vending machines to display calorie counts for the food they dispense. The requirement, which wouldn't apply for people who own fewer than 20 vending machines, is part of sections in both bills that would also require chain restaurants to post calorie counts. |
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The Strategies to Overcome and Prevent (STOP) Obesity Alliance receives funding from sanofi-aventis U.S. LLC, founding sponsor, and Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc., supporting sponsor. |
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