Progress.  I've been thinking a lot about the idea of "progress" lately as it relates to obesity and overcoming serious weight-related diseases.  If the word is defined as movement toward a goal, what will signal progress in addressing America's obesity problem?  Is it only when we see a massive downturn in obesity prevalence?  Or are we better to measure progress in other ways - such as a measurable shift in our collective thinking that weight is a matter of health, not appearance?

If we're able to shift understanding - and certainly the science is on our side in making the case - what might we be able to achieve...and when? 

My thinking was spurred by a recent discussion with a reporter from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review earlier this month.  He was looking into what he called a "vacuum" in medicine when it comes to addressing obesity and wondered whether resorts, personal trainers and other outlets were reaching out to consumers to fill the void.  Unfortunately, a lack of options is indeed one factor of consumers searching for the "silver bullet" for weight loss by trying different diets and products that may have questionable effectiveness.  This is not progress.  It is a gap.

The reporter's assumption is supported by a STOP Obesity Alliance patient/provider survey which found 90 percent of primary care physicians surveyed said they felt it was their responsibility to help patients lose weight, but 72 percent of these doctors said that nobody in their practice was trained to deal with obesity issues.

With findings like this, it may prompt questions about whether we are seeing progress in increased treatment options.  And, I am happy to note that we are.  In fact, three significant and recent milestones regarding obesity prevention and treatment are worth noting:

1. Last November, Medicare announced it will pay for screenings and preventive services to help recipients curb obesity and the medical ailments associated with it, primarily heart disease, strokes and diabetes.

2. The American Board of Obesity Medicine (ABOM) was recently created to provide a certification examination for obesity medicine physicians.  The first board exam for ABOM is scheduled to take place in November.

3. On February 22, an FDA Advisory panel overwhelmingly recommended approval of a new obesity drug, by a 20-2 vote.  This marks the first time in 13 years that an obesity drug could see approval.  While the FDA has yet to act on the recommendation, some experts are already wondering whether an approval that addresses appropriate use, could also pave the way for other obesity medications.

While these signs of progress are promising, we have a long way to go before reaching our ultimate goal of creating a supportive environment in which obesity can be managed and reduced.  A recent Trust for America's Health report, "Bending the Obesity Cost Curve," found that reducing average BMI by just 5 percent in the United States could lead to more than $29 billion in health care savings in just 5 years.  Just another reason to keep moving forward.

Sincerely, 

Director, STOP Obesity Alliance

Professor, School of Public Health and Health Services

Department of Health Policy

The George Washington University

• Alliance Director Christine Ferguson in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, "Biggest Loser Resort Replicates Weight-Loss Boot Camp."
• Alliance Director Christine Ferguson and Obesity Action Coalition in NPR, "Weight-Loss Drugs Face High Hurdles At FDA."
• STOP Clinical Advisor Scott Kahan, MD in HealthDay, "FDA Weighs Fate of Qnexa for Weight Loss, Again."
• American Diabetes Association in The Atlantic, "Curing Diabetes: How Type 2 Became an Accepted Lifestyle" and USA Today, "No Single Diet Will Work for All Diabetics."
• American Heart Association in USA Today, "Lawmakers Delay Hearing on School Trans Fat Ban."
• American Society of Bariatric Physicians in MedPage Today, "FDA Panel Votes in Favor of Qnexa."
• Obesity Action Coalition in "Diet Drug Qnexa Will Get a Second Look," The New York Times, "Advisory Panel Favors Approval for Weight-Loss Drug," NPR, "Diet Drug Qnexa Gets Thumbs-Up From FDA Panel" and TIME, "Whither Qnexa? A Brief History of Diet Pills and the FDA."
• Rebecca Puhl, PhD in Examiner.com, "Child Health Expert Says GA's Stark Anti-Obesity Ads Stigmatize."
• The Obesity Society in Los Angeles Times, "FDA Advisors Endorse Weight-Loss Drug Qnexa."

Trust for America's Health (TFAH) recently released a report entitled, "Bending the Obesity Cost Curve", which found that reducing the average body mass index of Americans by five percent could generate savings of more than $158 billion in obesity-related costs. Click here to learn more about the report.

ASMBS Announces New Quality Measures Initiative

The American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) is creating a national database of quality measures with the goal of decreasing the bariatric surgery major complication rate in half by 2017.  The new site will allow bariatric surgeons and surgery centers to compare their performances. Click here for more information.

Rudd Center Launches 'Big Food' Exhibition at Natural History Museum
 
The Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History opened a new exhibition, "Big Food: Health, Culture and the Evolution of Eating," on February 11. Visitors will learn about the neuroscience of appetite, genetics of obesity, nutrition and exercise. The exhibition is a collaboration between the Yale Peabody Museum, Yale's Community Alliance for Research and Engagement (CARE) and the Yale Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity and will be displayed through December 2, 2012. Click here for more information.

ADA Names New CMO

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) has named Dr. Robert Ratner as its chief scientific officer and chief medical officer, effective May 2012. Ratner is a professor of medicine at Georgetown University Medical School in Washington, D.C. and a principal investigator for the National Institutes of Health's Diabetes Prevention Program. Click here for more information.

BEDA to Host Annual Conference in March

The Binge Eating Disorder Association (BEDA) will hold its third annual conference March 2-4 in Philadelphia, Pa. STOP member Rebecca Puhl will serve as keynote speaker for the conference which will also feature a variety of topics including treatment for individuals and families. Click here for more information.

OAC and Obesity PPM Kick-Off Webinar Series

Obesity Action Coalition (OAC) and Obesity PPM hosted a webinar on February 7 focusing on the complexity of obesity and highlighted the Twelve Pillars® model of obesity. The organizations will host another webinar on March 29 that will focus on addiction. Click here for more information.

Dr. Dean Ornish to Keynote ASN's 2012 Conference

The American Society for Nutrition (ASN) is hosting its annual clinical conference, "Advances & Controversies in Clinical Nutrition," on June 22-24 in Chicago, Ill. Dr. Dean Ornish will open the conference as the keynote speaker.  Other topics during the sessions will include bariatric surgery, nutrition, obesity, supplements and diabetes. Registration is now open.

A panel of medical experts voted 20-2 in favor of the Vivus Inc. weight-loss drug Qnexa, clearing the way for potential approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval later this year. The panel endorsed the drug based on its efficacy, with most patients losing nearly 10 percent of their overall weight after one year on the drug. Members of the panel also stressed that Vivus should be required to conduct a follow-up study of the pill's cardiovascular effects.

By Kate Kelland

At least one in two people is now overweight or obese in more than half of the 34 developed countries surveyed in an update to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development's 2010 Fit Not Fat report. New data revealed obesity rates rose approximately four to five percent in the United States over the past decade. Obesity is estimated to be responsible for between five and 10 percent of total health spending in the United States.

WebMD

By Matt McMillen

A report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that nearly one-third of adults who visited a doctor or health care professional in 2011 said their doctor advised them to increase their physical activity, a significant increase from less than 25 percent in 2000.

A study published in the journal Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine discusses the benefits of a long-term approach to teen weight loss. Researchers enrolled teenagers in a 24-month program focusing on behavior-modification. After 12 months, 40 percent of teens reduced their body mass by at least five percent; a quarter reduced their body fat by at least 10 percent.

Alan Guttmacher, a leading child health expert at the National Institutes of Health, asked Strong4Life in a letter to end its anti-child obesity campaign in Georgia due to the potential risk of it increasing stigma around childhood obesity. The controversial campaign features black-and-white images of overweight children with warnings of health risks linked to obesity.

Behavior Programs May Cut Child Obesity Risk

February 7, 2012
Reuters
By Amy Norton

A study published in the journal Pediatrics found that intervention programs such as ParentCorps or Incredible Years, which aim to at prevent behavior problems in low-income urban children, may reduce a child's risk of becoming obese later in life, despite their focus on general parenting as opposed to diet, exercise or weight.