Alliance & Member News
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State-by-State Prevention and Intervention Charts Released at 5th Annual Obesity and Wellness Congress
Alliance Director Christine Ferguson released a first-of-its kind state-by-state compilation of coverage for the prevention and treatment of obesity and related conditions during her remarks as co-chair of the 5th Annual Obesity and Wellness Congress in Washington, D.C. on Sept. 29. The charts, created by The George Washington University research team for the STOP Obesity Alliance, show how these conditions are addressed in state Medicaid programs, state employee health benefit plans, and state insurance mandates for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The charts can be used as a baseline tool to track any changes states make in addressing obesity and weight-related diseases following federal health reform. To view the charts, click here.
Alliance Director Christine Ferguson, Alliance Members Release First-Ever Report on Individual Costs of Obesity Alliance Director Christine Ferguson joined several other Alliance Members, including Dr. William Dietz, Director of the CDC's Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity and Joe Nadglowski, President and CEO of the Obesity Action Coalition, in a panel moderated by 16th U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher on Sept. 21 to release a first-ever report on personal costs of obesity entitled " A Heavy Burden: The Individual Costs of Being Overweight and Obese in the United States." The report by The George Washington University Department of Health Policy revealed the high costs of obesity to individuals in this country, and panelists discussed the critical need for policies that focus on prevention and treatment for those who are already obese. Coverage of the report appeared in USA Today (Associated Press), The Washington Post, The New York Times, MSNBC and several other publications.
Alliance to Co-Sponsor Advocacy Forum at Obesity 2010The STOP Obesity Alliance will co-sponsor the Advocacy Forum, "Health Reform - Getting Serious About Obesity" at The Obesity Society's 28th Annual Scientific Meeting, Obesity 2010, in San Diego, Calif., Oct. 8-12. The Advocacy Forum will be from 2:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 8 and panelists, including Alliance Director Christine Ferguson, will discuss the implications of health reform for obesity research and treatment and define the essential role for engaging The Obesity Society in obesity policy development. Click here for more information about the Advocacy Forum and here to view the advance program for Obesity 2010. Alliance Welcomes IAMMM as New Associate MemberThe STOP Obesity Alliance recently welcomed the Institute for the Advancement of Multicultural & Minority Medicine as an Associate Member. Click here for more information on IAMMM and other Alliance Members. Alliance Members in the NewsSeveral Alliance Steering Committee and Associate Members were featured in news stories this month including:
- The American Dietetic Association in HealthDay, "Many Americans Don't Even Know They're Fat."
- America's Health Insurance Plans, Trust for America's Health and Alliance Policy Advisor Morgan Downey in The Washington Post and Kaiser Health News, "With Insurers Slow to Cover Obesity Treatment, Patients Often Must Foot the Bill."
- Trust for America's Health in San Angelo Standard-Times, "Don't Blame Heat For Not Staying Fit;" Arizona Daily Star, "Putting Kids on a Fitness Path';" Chillicothe Gazette, "We Need to End Childhood Obesity Today;" The Florida Times-Union, "Play and Exercise: Get Out There;" and Midland Daily News, "Nation Needs to Address Growing (Waistline) Problem."
- The American College of Sports Medicine in Forbes, "Childhood Obesity May Be Underreported" and That's Fit, "10 Questions to Ask Your Next Health Club."
- Alliance Director Christine Ferguson in The Associated Press, "Report: Obesity Hurts Your Wallet and Your Health."
- Alliance Policy Advisor Morgan Downey was featured in a live discussion printed in The Washington Post, "Obesity and Health-Care Reform: Public vs. Private Responsibility."
- Rebecca Puhl, Director of Research at the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University, in Portfolio.com, "A Weighty Issue"
AADE Issues Recommendations on Addressing Obesity The American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE) issued a formal position statement and set of recommendations urging diabetes educators to proactively address obesity as a means of preventing the onset of type 2 diabetes. The AADE guidelines state that it is important for diabetes educators to address obesity and diabetes as co-morbidities and identify key strategies for them to adopt. Click here for more information about AADE's position statement and recommendations. Register for ASBP's Annual Symposium by October 8 to Get Early Bird RatesThe American Society for Bariatric Physicians (ASBP) will hold its 60th Annual Obesity and Associated Conditions Symposium Nov. 10-14 in New Orleans, La. In addition to courses for obesity and associated conditions, there will be an entire program designed for the Bariatric Assistant that focuses on basic treatment protocols, fundamentals of keeping the office running efficiently, and ensuring customer service is top-notch. Click here to view the preliminary program and here for more information on registration. Register by Oct. 8 to get early bird rates. NCLR Joins Civil Rights Organizations to Fight Childhood Obesity
The National Council of La Raza (NCLR) has joined four other civil rights organizations in an effort to reverse childhood obesity in Black and Latino communities, as part of a $2 million initiative supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Over the next 16 months, the organizations will work to advance the public advocacy and policy changes that are critical to creating healthier communities. In particular, NCLR will increase awareness of the Latino perspective in the child nutrition conversation by launching Profiles of Latino Health: A Closer Look at Latino Child Nutrition. The third issue in this series examines food spending in Latino households and Latinos' ability to afford healthy, nutritious foods.
NQF Opens Application Period for 2011 National Quality Healthcare Award The National Quality Forum (NQF) has opened the application period for its 2011 National Quality Healthcare Award, which recognizes organizational leadership and innovation to achieve national goals for quality improvement. The NQF presents the Quality Award each year to health care organizations that are role models for achieving meaningful, sustainable quality improvement in health care. Click here for award application information. The deadline for the intent to apply is Oct. 15. OAC and ASMBS to Host Annual "Walk From Obesity"The Obesity Action Coalition (OAC) and the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) will host the 7th annual "Walk from Obesity," an initiative in recognition of the fight against obesity. The annual walk supports the independent missions of OAC and the ASMBS Foundation and their initiatives focusing on prevention, education, research, treatment and advocacy. Several walks will take place throughout September and October in select cities across the nation. Click here for more information and a complete list of walk event locations. AHA Launches Series of Videos to Provide Information on New Health Reform LawThe American Heart Association (AHA) has launched a series of brief videos in which experts answer some of the most common questions posed by patients and consumers about the new health reform law. The video series was created in response to the many questions from Americans about how the new health care reform law will affect them and their families. A number of new protections and reforms took effect on September 23, the 6-month anniversary of the law. To view these videos, click here. Alliance Member Conferences in October 2010 Several Alliance Members will host annual conferences and meetings in October: - The Care Continuum Alliance will host its 2010 annual meeting, The Forum 10, Oct. 13-15 in Washington, D.C. The Forum 10 is co-located with the Integrated Care Summit (Oct. 13-14), an employer-focused event with the National Association of Manufacturers and Center for Health Value Innovation.
- The Obesity Society will host Obesity 2010, its 28th Annual Scientific Meeting, in San Diego, Calif., Oct. 8-12.
- The American Medical Women's Association will host the next Pan-American Medical Women's Association meeting to discuss "Women and Health: Right to Gender and Equity," Oct. 28-31 in Guayaquil, Ecuador. For more details, contact Dr. Gina del Roserio at ginadelro@hotmail.com.
- The Institute for Health and Productivity Management (IHPM) will host the International Corporate Health Forum Oct. 13-14 in Santiago, Chile. Click here to view more information on this and other upcoming IHPM conferences.
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News Round-Up
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Lifestyle Changes Work Over Long Term in Diabetes
September 27, 2010
MedPage Today
Todd Neale
An intensive lifestyle intervention resulted in sustained improvements in several cardiovascular risk factors among patients with type 2 diabetes, a randomized trial showed. Over four years, the intervention improved weight, fitness, glycemic control, blood pressure and levels of HDL cholesterol and triglycerides compared with diabetes support and education, according to Rena Wing, Ph.D., of the Miriam Hospital in Providence, R.I., and colleagues.
The U.S. is the "fattest" nation among 33 countries with advanced economies, according to a report from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, which works on policies to promote better economies and quality of life. Obesity rates have skyrocketed since the 1980s in almost all the countries where long-term data is available. The countries with the fastest obesity growth rates are the United States, Australia and England.
September 21, 2010
Reuters
The U.S. obesity rate is still disturbingly high and it is unlikely that the nation will meet its goal of significantly reducing the number of obese adults this year, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. The report also concluded that the rate of obesity in U.S. males is increasing rather than decreasing.
Some Extra Weight May Not Be a Major Health Concern for Older People
September 21, 2010
The Washington Post
Abigail Trafford
Recent studies suggest that more important than what you weigh is how healthy you are. The key, according to the Cooper Institute in Dallas, is physical activity. A Cooper study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association concluded that "fitness was a significant mortality predictor" independent of weight. To view The Washington Post's full special section on "Obesity in America," click here. Report: Obesity Hurts Your Wallet and Your Health September 20, 2010
The Associated Press
Lauran Neergaard According to researchers at The George Washington University, the annual cost of being obese is $4,879 for a woman and $2,646 for a man, which is far more than the cost of being merely overweight - $524 for women and $432 for men. The researchers looked at things like employee sick days, lost productivity and the need for extra gasoline in the calculation of the annual cost of being obese. Teaching Doctors about Nutrition and Diet
September 16, 2010
The New York Times
Pauline Chen, M.D. Dr. Pauline Chen discusses how, as a physician, she constantly gets asked by friends and family for nutrition advice, but many times she does not know how to respond. A recent study at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill found that medical schools still fail to meet the minimum recommended 25 hours of nutrition instruction. Obesity Surgery Tied to Lower Diabetes Risk in Pregnancy September 15, 2010
Reuters
Amy Norton Severely obese women who undergo weight-loss surgery may have a decreased risk of developing diabetes during future pregnancies, a new study reports in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons. The researchers found that among 700 women who had undergone obesity surgery, those who had the procedure before becoming pregnant were 77 percent less likely to develop pregnancy-related diabetes than those who had surgery after their pregnancy. Obesity Costs U.S. 215 Billion Dollars: Study
September 14, 2010
Agence France Presse Obesity costs the U.S. economy at least $215 billion a year in direct and indirect costs including medical expenses, lost productivity, absenteeism, disability and premature death, according to a new report by the Brookings Institution. Researchers at the Institution found that medical costs for obese adults amount to $147 billion more than those with a healthy weight, and the costs for children amount to $14.3 billion annually. The study also found that transportation costs may be higher because of heavier weights for airline passengers, for example. The report is published in Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity: Targets and Therapy. Brain Cells, Not Lack of Willpower, May Be to Blame for Obesity
September 9, 2010
AOL Health
Deborah Huso According to a study in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, brain cells, not motivation levels, may be the reason some people who eat foods that are high in fat gain weight while other people who eat the same foods do not gain weight. A team of researchers found that a diet high in fat can cause nerve cells in certain people's brains to become insulated, which can cut off signals that tell the body to stop eating when it is full or burn calories during exercise. 'Fat Genes' Don't Mean Fat Jeans
September 1, 2010
USA Today
Nanci Hellmich
According to findings published in PLoS Medicine, physical activity can reduce the genetic tendency toward obesity by 40 percent. Researchers in Great Britain studied 12 genetic variants known to increase the risk of obesity in 20,430 individuals, tracked their physical activity levels, created a genetic summary score to quantify a person's risk of obesity and then examined whether an active life could reduce the genetic influence. Senior researchers say their findings challenge the popular myth that obesity is unavoidable if it runs in the family. |
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The Strategies to Overcome and Prevent (STOP) Obesity Alliance receives funding from founding sponsor, sanofi-aventis U.S. LLC and supporting sponsors, Allergan, Inc. and Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. |
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