STOP Obesity Alliance E-Newsletter

March, 2011

Letter From The Director

Greetings!

One of many things that I find so interesting about our work with the STOP Obesity Alliance is looking at what is working - and not working -- in our health care delivery system. This past weekend, I had the opportunity to hear from representatives from community health centers (CHCs) about initiatives they are using to help address obesity.

STOP Obesity Alliance, in conjunction with The George Washington University's Geiger Gibson Program in Community Health Policy, hosted a discussion at the National Association of Community Health Centers 2011 Policy & Issues Forum. The discussion, "Call to Conversation - Obesity and Health Centers," included officials from the Health Resources and Services Administration and representatives from CHCs, including Holyoke Health Center and Unity Health Care's We Can! program.

Our goal was to begin a larger conversation about effective approaches to address obesity and other weight-related issues for patients currently served by CHCs, and those who will soon seek care at CHCs under the Affordable Care Act.

It is clear that the CHCs that have begun tackling this challenge are working artfully to test what will work and what won't when it comes to serving their patients. For example, Unity Health Care's physical activity program includes a variety of possible activities - ranging from Wii Fit to hula hoop - to make sure there is something for everyone.

Another focus seems to be on providing well-rounded interventions that go beyond telling patients to eat healthy and exercise to include broader education. Holyoke Health Center, for example, holds cooking classes and takes patients to the grocery store to show them how to read labels and also where to find the more healthful foods.

There are also significant challenges. To begin with, there is no national evidence-based program that can be adapted to sustain these types of initiatives. And funding for programs is extremely limited, making it hard to sustain initiatives that make a difference. Also, since funding is coming from different sources, there is no consistent definition for a successful program, just as there is no true definition of success for preventing and treating obesity.

One of the toughest challenges voiced from the audience is that "obesity is a symptom of a much deeper problem that is vaguer and harder to get to - an underlying loss of hope."

Shifting this will take time. Even so, it is evident that while not yet widespread, there are things we can learn from the work that is being done to address obesity at CHCs - both from the successes as well as the challenges.

Sincerely,

Christine C. Ferguson, J.D.
Director, STOP Obesity Alliance
Professor, School of Public Health and Health Services
Department of Health Policy
The George Washington University

In This Issue

Alliance & Member News

News Round-Up

Alliance & Member News

Alliance Members in the News

Several Alliance Steering Committee and Associate Members were featured in news stories this month including:

American Heart Association in USA Today, "This Doctor Is Following His Own Orders," The Wall Street Journal, "Problems in Pregnancy Signal Future Health Risks" and HealthDay, "Benefits of Weight-Loss Surgery May Outweigh Risks for Some, Experts Say."
American Diabetes Association in The Wall Street Journal, "Diabetes Group Urges Surgery as Treatment Option."
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on CNN.com, "U.S. 'Diabetes Belt' Is Identified."

Alliance Co-sponsors Live Well! DC Summit at Providence Hospital
The STOP Obesity Alliance co-sponsored Live Well DC!, an obesity summit hosted by Providence Hospital, in partnership with the Washington, DC Department of Health and Georgetown University School of Medicine on March 28. Alliance Director Christine Ferguson spoke at the summit along with U.S. Surgeon General Regina Benjamin and DC Mayor Vincent Gray. The summit convened locally and nationally renowned scientists, physicians, District government officials, business leaders, clergies and health care policymakers to discuss preventive strategies and innovative solutions to combat obesity.

Alliance Co-sponsors National Association of Community Health Centers' Policy & Issues Forum
The STOP Obesity Alliance and The George Washington University's Geiger Gibson Program in Community Health Policy co-sponsored a symposium at the National Association of Community Health Centers' Annual Policy & Issues Forum on March 26 in Washington, DC. The morning symposium included Angela Glover Blackwell of PolicyLink, Dr. Amanda Cash of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Jay Breines of Holyoke Health Center, and Alliance Director Christine Ferguson. Later in the afternoon, community health center providers and administrators gathered for "Call to Conversation
- Obesity and Health Centers" with Drs. Cash and Matthew Burke of HRSA, Jessica Wallace of Unity Health Care, Inc.'s "We Can!" program and Jay Breines. Roundtable participants discussed innovative things health centers are doing to help patients with their weight and the general state of readiness of health centers to address obesity and related issues among their current patients and those who will soon enter the health care system under the Affordable Care Act.

AHA and NCPPA Release Physical Activity Plan
The National Coalition for Promoting Physical Activity (NCPPA), the organization charged with creating the first National Physical Activity Plan (NPAP), partnered with the American Heart Association (AHA) in the recent release of its "Make the Move" report, outlining short- and long-term goals to implement policies, programs and initiatives to get more Americans moving. AHA is also co-leading the Business and Industry sector of the NPAP to help increase physical activity and promote best practices in the workplace. AHA is using its Start! campaign, which provides individuals and companies with the tools and resources to be physically active and heart healthy, as an example. Click here to read the "Make the Move" report, here to learn more about Start!, and here to get involved on Facebook.

ASBP to Host Eastern Regional Obesity Conference
The American Society of Bariatric Physicians (ASBP) will host the Eastern Regional Obesity Conference, April 6-10, in Baltimore, Md. The conference brings together physicians and other healthcare professionals with varying knowledge about treating obese patients for networking and sharing tools on to run a successful health clinic. Featured topics include hormone replacement therapy, weight regulation in relation to hormones and adipose tissue, obesity treatment and weight loss maintenance case studies, and nutritional ketosis. To register for the conference, click here.

AMGA Annual Medical Conference
The American Medical Group Association's Annual Conference, Learning from the Best!, will bring industry leaders from across the US to DC April 13-16. The conference will focus on helping attendees meet the challenges that come with health reform implementation. Key speakers include author and researcher Marcus Buckingham and political commentator Chris Matthews. Click here for more information.

Weekend for Women with DiabetesSisters
DiabetesSisters will host its second annual Weekend for Women Conference April 29-May 1 in Raleigh, NC. The conference includes educational sessions on gender-specific topics related to diabetes treatment and care such as pregnancy, body image and nutrition. Click here for more information.

IHPM to Host 11th Annual Health & Productivity Conference
The Institute for Health Productivity and Management (IHPM) will host its 11th Annual Health & Productivity Conference April 4-6 in Orlando, Fla. Topics will include the workplace burden for the working caregiver, health reform and behavioral health and obesity. To view the agenda, click here.

NACDD's 2011 PRC Annual Program Meeting
The National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD) will host its Prevention Research Centers 2011 Annual Conference April 13-14 in Atlanta, Ga. The conference will discuss promoting health, physical and mental well-being, and quality of life. Click here for more information.

News Round-Up

CDC Report Charts Local Obesity, Inactivity Rates
March 25, 2011
The Chicago Tribune
Serena Maria Daniels

A national report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention surveyed inactivity and obesity rates on a county-by-county basis and found that in 2008 an estimated 25.4 percent of U.S. adults spent none of their free time engaged in physical activities such as walking, gardening or running. The report underscores the need for more Americans to lose weight and exercise.

Surgeon General Says Obesity Crisis Should Be Addressed Together
March 21, 2011
The Washington Post
Regina M. Benjamin, U.S. Surgeon General

U.S. Surgeon General Regina M. Benjamin writes that everyone has a role to play in the prevention and control of obesity, and we must all commit to changes that promote the health and wellness of our families and our communities. She says that there is a growing consensus that we, as a nation, need to create communities and environments where the healthy choices are the easy choices and the most affordable choices.

Amylin, Takeda Halt Obesity Drug Study
March 16, 2011
The Wall Street Journal
Thomas Gryta

Amylin Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. suspended a mid-stage trial of a combination obesity treatment, citing a potential immune-system reaction from a previous study.

Better than a BMI? New Obesity Scale Proposed
March 6, 2011
Reuters
Julie Steenhuysen

A study from the University of Southern California suggests an alternative way to gauge how much fat an individual is carrying. The Body Adiposity Index (BAI) estimates an individual's percentage of body fat by measuring height and hip measurements and could prevent doctors from wrongly classifying people as overweight or obese.

Doctors Should Discuss Obesity with Patients
March 1, 2011
The Wall Street Journal
Katherine Hobson

Research from the Medical University of South Carolina and Imperial College London found that getting an honest assessment from a physician appeared to be a key factor in whether or not study participants considered themselves overweight, as well as whether they would try to do something about it.

Follow STOP Obesity Alliance on Twitter and Facebook.

GWU School of Public Health and Health Services

The Strategies to Overcome and Prevent (STOP) Obesity Alliance receives funding from founding sponsor, sanofi-aventis U.S. LLC and supporting sponsor, Allergan, Inc.