Letter From The Director
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Dear (Contact First Name),
It's interesting for me to watch the evolution of the public health discussion surrounding overweight and obesity in America. And as many of you know, I've watched it from several perspectives over the years -- as a staff member working in the United States Senate and as a state regulator in charge of public health and Medicaid programs.
As overweight and obesity have grown to affect nearly 70 percent of American adults, literally tipping the scales when it comes to health care spending at $147 billion annually, we have seen a greater willingness by stakeholders and decision makers to engage.
But, we are not there yet. While we can point to some changes in the dialogue, there are still pieces of the weight debate that seem to take a back seat to others, and they do so to our detriment. Many have embraced the issue of childhood obesity, but seem to look the other way when it comes to helping parents, caregivers and other role models for our children deal with their own weight and health issues.
The STOP Obesity Alliance was an early and sincere supporter of designating September as National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month because we share a great concern for the growing numbers of children who are developing diseases once reserved for adults - namely type 2 diabetes and hypertension.
We also are enthusiastic about the new "Let's Move" initiative launched by the First Lady, as well as the President's establishment of an interagency Task Force on Childhood Obesity.
The Alliance wholeheartedly agrees that a coordinated, collaborative approach is imperative in order to address the multiple factors that contribute to overweight and obesity. And we recommend this kind of approach not only for our children, but for the adults who surround them at home and at school - many of whom also struggle with obesity and chronic diseases.
Many parents and caregivers suffer from health disparities and lack the health literacy skills to support and empower long-term healthy choices for themselves and the children they love.
The inclusion of parents should be front and center, partly so adults can see there are options for them and that they're not being forgotten as we focus on a population that we think is easier to "fix."
The success of our efforts will require tackling adult weight issues if we are to really help lead our children out of the obesity conundrum.
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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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STOP Obesity Alliance to Release National Survey Results March 16The STOP Obesity Alliance will release important results from national surveys conducted by Harris Interactive about the role of primary care in fighting obesity and weight-related chronic disease at a March 16 briefing. Richard H. Carmona, 17th U.S. Surgeon General, will lead the discussion, held at The George Washington University in Washington, D.C., on innovative approaches that can help address the nation's most pressing health problem. Other panelists will include Alliance Director Christine Ferguson, Harris Interactive Vice President of Health Policy Roz Pierson, and Holston Medical Group Integrated Health Services Medical Director William Bestermann, Jr. The Alliance will also discuss a new white paper based on outcomes of an expert roundtable that examined innovative approaches to help address obesity within primary care. For more information on the briefing, please click here. To RSVP, please email or call Melissa Warren at mwarren@ccapr.com or 202.609.6010.
STOP Obesity Alliance Director to Speak at NCDDR Webcast Alliance Director Christine Ferguson will speak during the upcoming National Center for the Dissemination of Disability Research (NCDDR) Community of Practice on Research Quality webcast on March 4, 2010 at 3 p.m. EST. The webcast, "Disparities in Obesity and Disability: Developing Research Partnerships and Collaborations," will focus on strategies for addressing disparities in obese people with disabilities. Click here for more information or to register for the webcast. Christine Ferguson to Speak at the Fourth Annual Chronic Care and Prevention Congress
Alliance Director Christine Ferguson will participate in the World Congress Fourth Annual Chronic Care and Prevention Congress May 11-13, 2010 in Alexandra, Va. The event will bring together employers, health care providers and government agencies to discuss best practices for the management of chronic disease and the implementation of prevention and wellness strategies. Ferguson will discuss the role of primary care and primary care providers in treating obesity, and incentives for the prevention of obesity in a one-hour session at the event. Several Alliance Steering Committee and Associate Members will also be speaking at the event, including Julie Sanderson-Austin, RN, American Medical Group Association and Gordon K. Norman, MD, MBA, DMAA: The Care Continuum Alliance. For more information about the Congress, click here.
Alliance Welcomes NCLR as New MemberThe STOP Obesity Alliance recently welcomed the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) as its newest Associate Member. Click here for more information on NCLR and other Alliance Associate Members.
Alliance Members in the News Jeff Levi, executive director of Trust for America's Health, appeared in an Associated Press article that discusses First Lady Michelle Obama's campaign to address childhood obesity. In the article, " First Lady Tackling Child Obesity," Levi suggests that Obama, who speaks as a mother as well as a public figure, can have a big impact by helping change parents' and kids' attitudes toward food and exercise. Clyde Yancy, MD, president of the American Heart Association, also provided comment in the article and said that in order to make substantive changes for childhood obesity several organizations need to be involved. For Yancy, these substantive changes include reducing unhealthy snacks and sodas in schools and providing better nutrition labeling for processed foods.
AADE Partners with Indian Health Service to Provide Diabetes Training Sessions
The American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE) announced a partnership that will provide diabetes training sessions to Indian Health Service (IHS) and Tribal and Urban Indian program employees. The sessions will be available to employees currently working with people with or at-risk for developing Type 2 diabetes who would like to enhance their knowledge and skills in diabetes self-management education. Application information will be available in March and sessions will last throughout the year.
CDC Hosts "Weight of the Nation" Webinar
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) invited panelists from the "Weight of the Nation" conference held last July to participate in a webinar on February 26, 2010. Panelists from the webinar, titled "Promising Provider Strategies to Prevent and Treat Obesity," provided specific examples of new training programs developed for health care providers and discussed the role of the medical home in obesity prevention and control.
March 2010 Conferences Several STOP Obesity Alliance Members have upcoming March conferences including: The National Quality Forum (NQF), who will host its 2010 Spring Membership Meeting & Policy Conference, " Beyond Reform: Healthcare Quality's Next Chapter," March 3-4 in Baltimore, Md.; America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), who will host its 2010 National Policy Forum March 9-10 in Washington, D.C.; National Business Group on Health (NBGH), who will host its annual corporate health benefits conference, Business Health Agenda 2010, " Redesigning Benefits and Health Care in an Era of Reform," March 10-12 in Washington, D.C.; American Medical Group Association (AMGA), who will host its 2010 Annual Conference, " Learning from the Best," March 17-20 in New Orleans, La.; and, National Hispanic Medical Association (NHMA), who will host its 14th Annual Conference, " Health Care Transformation to Expand Prevention and Health Promotion for Hispanic Communities," at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, D.C. March 25-28. |
News Round-Up
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NBC's "The Biggest Loser," which takes obese Americans and pits them against each other in a battle to lose the most weight and win $250,000, thrives on extreme numbers. But physicians and nutritionists worry the show's focus on competitive weight loss is, at best, counterproductive and, at worst, dangerous.
First Lady Michelle Obama appealed to governors at the National Governor's Association winter meeting, held February 20, 2010, for help in reducing childhood obesity, saying that health care reform doesn't begin just on Capitol Hill but needs to begin at home with children's health. Obama stressed a low-cost approach to the problem, acknowledging the financial bind of many states. "If you're already paving a new road, for example, why not add a sidewalk or a bike path, too? Let's stop wringing our hands and talking about it and citing statistics," she said. "Let's act. Let's move. Let's give our kids the future they deserve."
A study published in the Jan. 25 issue of the journal Archives of Internal Medicine found that structured weight-loss plans with regular doctor visits were more effective at helping extremely obese patients lose weight than less-intensive programs. The study found that 31 percent of patients in the medical intervention group lost at least 5 percent of their initial body weight. In the usual care group, only 9 percent lost at least 5 percent of their initial body weight.
Riva Greenberg, author of "50 Diabetes Myths That Can Ruin Your Life," writes that Surgeon General Regina Benjamin's comment, "Let's start with healthy choices. Eat nutritious foods, exercise regularly and have fun doing it," is the same type of conversation we've had for decades - a conversation that doesn't motivate or inspire. Greenberg believes that Americans have to change the conversation from doctors and patients talking at each other, to talking with each other. "Physicians who truly listen and help patients discover a small step they feel they can take to improve their overall health, now that's moving the conversation in a new and positive direction," she says.
A new report in Health Affairs indicates recent annual increases in Medicare spending are the result of outpatient treatment of chronic conditions such as diabetes, arthritis, hypertension and kidney disease. The study authors, Kenneth E. Thorpe, Lydia L. Ogden and Katya Galactionova of the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University in Atlanta, analyzed data about disease prevalence and level of - and change in - spending on the 10 most expensive conditions in the Medicare population from 1987, 1997 and 2006. The study authors suggested that increased spending on diabetes and some other conditions results from rising incidence of these diseases, not increased screening and diagnoses. The researchers recommend that, as Congress reshapes the U.S. health care system, they should address changed health needs through evidence-based preventive care.
Obama's Anti-Obesity Initiatives Mirror Health Plan Programs, Say Insurers
February 4, 2010
HealthLeaders Media
Joe Cantlupe
Insurance companies are reportedly supporting the Obama Administration's 2011 proposed budget in areas of combating childhood obesity and initiating wellness programs. The Obama Administration seeks to allot some $10 million in a federal employee workplace initiative to implement prototype wellness programs with a goal of health care promotion and lower health care costs and more than $20 million for a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention initiative to reduce the rates of morbidity and disability because of chronic disease in up to 10 of the largest cities. Overall, health plans support the efforts to "promote [disease] prevention and wellness and encourage people to live healthier lifestyles," says Robert Zirkelbach, spokesman for America's Health Insurance Plans.
The Washington Post blogger Jennifer LaRue Huget writes about Surgeon General Regina Benjamin's report "The Surgeon General's Vision for a Healthy and Fit Nation 2010," saying that the report got surprisingly little press coverage, in her opinion, because Benjamin's report places the onus for weight loss squarely on the shoulders of individuals. "I have a hunch that if Surgeon General Regina Benjamin's plan had called for a soda tax or legislation requiring restaurants to post calorie counts or big expensive government programs to cure obesity, plenty of ink would have been devoted to her report," said Huget. |
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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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