Greetings! "The single greatest threat to our nation's health and to our health care system." That's how the description read for a panel I participated in earlier this month on chronic disease. And if we didn't all believe this was the case before the session began, by the end, we had a room full of people - from corporate, nonprofit and public sectors - looking at chronic disease in new ways. It is a cruel irony that even as awareness of the scope of chronic disease and its many negative consequences grow, so too does the incidence. Why is that? It was a good group to give it some thought. I joined Dr. Ken Thorpe of the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease, Matthew L. Myers of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and John Robitscher of the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors for the discussion. One question we were asked to consider was how to address this growing challenge at the same time we are dealing with limited dollars and demands to reduce spending. That's a tough one. From where I sit with my colleagues on the STOP Obesity Alliance, we know the heavy burden overweight and obesity places on individuals and society. We also know the pattern. What starts with overweight often leads to obesity, which can lead to follow-on (and multiple) chronic diseases. And every step along the way is worse for your health and more costly. The Alliance has been advocating for several years for a consistent and health-based definition for success when it comes to weight loss. We recommend promoting the use of a sustained loss of five to 10 percent as a measure to judge the effectiveness of weight reduction interventions. However, a growing body of evidence suggests that losing somewhere between five to 10 percent of current weight leads to major improvements in health. Getting to a consensus definition might lead to mitigating the health and productivity impact of overweight and obesity - and reduce what we have to spend treating disease. As I said on the panel, the goal shouldn't be a number on a scale, it should be improved health. We also explored whether there were opportunities under the Affordable Care Act that could be leveraged in the fight. In this area, STOP Obesity Alliance has been looking at the role of primary care. Last year, we released a survey of primary care providers and found that while 89 said they believed it is their responsibility to help overweight or obese patients lose weight, 72 percent also said that no one in their practice, including themselves, had been trained to deal with weight-related issues. This year, we're continuing our look into primary care and launched a discussion at the National Association of Community Health Centers' national policy meeting to identify the role CHCs could play in addressing weight and related chronic health conditions through medical services, counseling and education. With a large influx of new, adult patients expected in the next several years due to the expansion of Medicaid under health reform, CHCs will increasingly be called upon to have obesity-related services to address the needs of this growing population. As with physicians in other primary care settings, providers in CHCs will need increasing support as well as better, more widespread innovative programs to address weight and limited training. The meeting was thought provoking, especially the ideas and thoughts presented by the other panelists. Interestingly, it turns out the "room" was much larger than I thought. With lots of people tweeting comments on what folks were saying, it appears some of this thinking reached close to 10,000 people. Wow.
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 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
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Alliance & Member News
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Several Alliance Steering Committee and Associate Members were featured in news stories this month including:
Alliance and NEDA to Host "Pounds and Policy: Effectively Communicating About Weight and Health"
The STOP Obesity Alliance and the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) are convening a roundtable, "Pounds and Policy: Effectively Communicating About Weight and Health" moderated by Susan Dentzer of Health Affairs, on Monday, May 9 at the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center in Washington, D.C. The discussion's goal is to advance an educated approach to policies surrounding weight and obesity.
Panelists include Jean Kilbourne, author, media critic and expert on advertising and women; Rebecca Puhl, Director of Research, Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity at Yale University; Chevese Turner, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Binge Eating Disorders Association; and Diane Neumark-Sztainer, Professor of Public Health, University of Minnesota. The panelists will examine the barriers to effective discussion about health and weight in media, entertainment and policy making, guided by the NEDA/STOP Obesity Alliance recommendations developed to help responsibly communicate the connections between weight and health.
To RSVP, email or call Melissa Warren at mwarren@ccapr.com or 202.609.6010.
NBGH to Host Leadership Summit on Workforce Well-being
The National Business Group on Health (NBGH) is hosting its annual Leadership Summit on Workforce Well-being, "Building Culture, Designing Environments, Changing Behavior," May 24-25 in Washington, D.C. Panelists include representatives from GE, Costco and Towers Watson. Click here for more information.
ACSM Annual Meeting & World Congress on Exercise is Medicine® The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) is hosting its 58th Annual Meeting and 2nd World Congress on Exercise is Medicine® May 31-June 4 in Denver, Colo. The two meetings will discuss the science, practice, public health and policy aspects of sports medicine, exercise science and physical activity. For more information, click here. AMWA Welcomes New President The American Medical Women's Association (AMWA) recently welcomed a new President, Dr. Mary Guinan, M.D., Ph.D. Dr. Guinan currently serves as Dean of the School of Community Health Sciences at the University of Nevada and Advisor to the Nevada State Health Division. Click here to read her bio. OWL's 2011 Mother's Day Breakfast Briefing & Report OWL - The Voice of Midlife and Older Women - is hosting its annual Mother's Day Breakfast Briefing on May 5 from 9:30-10:30 a.m. in the U.S. Capitol Building. At the briefing, OWL will release its annual Mother's Day Report, which focuses on specific provisions within the Affordable Care Act that affect women over the age of 40. Speakers include Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) and HHS' Assistant Secretary for Aging, Kathy Greenlee (invited). For more information, click here.
SWHR Annual Gala Dinner
The Society for Women's Health Research (SWHR) Annual Gala Dinner, "Gala 2011 Beyond the Camouflage: Uncovering the Health Needs of Women Veterans," will be held on May 9 in Washington, D.C. Click here for more information. |
News Round-Up
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World Of People Just Dying To Indulge
April 29, 2011
The Sydney Morning Herald - Australia
Julia Medew
The World Health Organization released a report which found that lifestyle-related diseases stemming from obesity, tobacco and alcohol, have overtaken infectious diseases such as HIV and malaria to become the greatest killer of people worldwide.
Why The Fat Guy Should Lose His Privilege
April 29, 2011
San Francisco Chronicle
David Sirota
According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, almost 70 percent of men are overweight, compared with 52 percent of women. However, 90 percent of the commercial-weight-loss industry's clients are female, and somehow, this industry hasn't seen males as a viable business.
Sitting All Day: Worse For You Than You Might Think
April 25, 2011
NPR
Patti Neighmond
Studies have shown that when you adhere to an exercise regimen, you can improve cardiovascular health, lower blood pressure, improve metabolism and levels of cholesterol and triglycerides, reduce diabetes risk and the risk of certain cancers and maintain a healthy weight. However, researchers from the University of South Carolina are beginning to suspect that engaging in regular exercise daily it may not be enough to counteract the effects of too much sitting during the rest of the day.
Exercise: Fewer Healthy Habits for Young Mothers
April 18, 2011
The New York Times
Roni Caryn Rabin
A study published in Pediatrics found that many women adopt healthier lifestyles when they become pregnant, but post-pregnancy, young mothers of small children exercise less than other women their age and don't eat as well.
Type 2 Diabetes, Like Type 1, May Be an Autoimmune Disease, Researchers Say
April 18, 2011
Los Angeles Times
Thomas H. Maugh II
Researchers from Stanford University suggest that Type 2 diabetes, like Type 1, may be an autoimmune disease, but the immune system's target cells are different. The discovery sheds new light on how obesity contributes to the onset of Type 2 diabetes and could lead to new types of treatment for the disorder.
Vivus: 2-Year Study Shows Qnexa Also Lowers Blood Pressure
April 4, 2011
The Wall Street Journal
Melodie Warner
A two-year study found that Vivus' weight-loss drug, Qnexa, reduces blood pressure and the required use of anti-hypertension medications. Long-term data from the company's Sequel study showed that patients who received the top dose had sustained weight loss greater than 10% over two years. This weight loss led to reductions in blood pressure and triglyceride while improving lipid levels.
FDA Proposes More Calorie Count Information
April 2, 2011
The Associated Press
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposed new menu labeling requirements that will require chain restaurants with 20 or more locations, along with bakeries, grocery stores, convenience stores and coffee chains, to clearly post the calorie count for each item on their menus. The new rules will apply to menus both in restaurants and drive-through lanes, but will exclude businesses whose primary business is not to sell food, such as movie theaters.
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