It's the time of year when we reflect upon the things for which we're grateful.  Looking back on the developments in the obesity landscape over the last 12 months, I am thankful for the collective progress in understanding, preventing and treating obesity - particularly the increased awareness of weight as a matter of health, not appearance. STOP Obesity Alliance members and partners have made important strides both together and individually to foster and encourage change.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Weight of the Nation conference, for example, emphasized the progress in the prevention and control of obesity through policy and environmental strategies.  An accompanying documentary emphasized the urgency of solving the obesity epidemic, debunking the epidemic as an issue of "laziness" and properly addressing it as an important and complex health issue. The Alliance's Strategic Initiatives Advisor, Christine Ferguson, JD, participated at the conference on a panel about weight and stigma where she shared her own personal struggles with weight and the Alliance's research on weight and stigma.  STOP's most re-tweeted quote from the panel was: "Being overweight is the #1 reason why kids are teased at school."

It comes as little surprise to me that bullying children with obesity would be a popular topic to STOP's Twitter followers.  It's one of many reasons that prompted the Alliance to focus on the impact obesity and weight-related conditions have on the family. The Alliance partnered with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation to publish a guide that helps parents respond to questions from their children about things like body image, bullying and weight bias. As I noted in my Huffington Post blog, the guide provides specific, scenario-based advice and talking points. It combines the facts a parent needs to know with general suggestions about potential approaches for addressing weight-related questions in productive and compassionate ways. Helping parents better communicate about weight with their child may put us on a path to eliminate bias towards those with obesity -- no matter what age.
 
Employers have also played an important role when it comes to eliminating bias and fostering healthy habits and attitudes. STOP continued working with employers through National Employee Wellness Month, a partnership with Virgin HealthMiles, the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease and WorldatWork. More than 65,000 employees from more than 140 organizations participated in 2012 - an all time high. NEWM's popularity illustrates the growing recognition among businesses about the need to improve employee health and productivity. One reason: It can lower healthcare costs and create a workplace culture of health. In addition to STOP Obesity Alliance and founding sponsor Sanofi, 11 Alliance members participated in the initiative this year.

Alliance members are also partnering to institute other positive changes in the workplace. The National Indian Health Board (NIHB) is championing the GO the EXTRA MILE program which provides staff 30 minutes during the work day to exercise. This initiative is a result of the NIHB signing the CEO pledge, part of a national campaign to encourage executive leadership to commit to supporting a physically-active workplace. I was proud to help kick-off the initiative at the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington D.C. earlier this month. Employers can have a significant impact on curbing the rising costs of preventable chronic disease by providing motivation and opportunities for employees to engage in healthy lifestyle behaviors. For more information about the CEO Pledge and to join the GO the EXTRA MILE initiative, click here.

Early next month, the Alliance will release its final "Weight and the States" bulletin of the year where we have identified key obesity-related trends at the state level from 2012 and forecast emerging trends for 2013. STOP's State-Level Members informed the development of this Bulletin, offering their unique perspectives on issues taking shape on obesity prevention and treatment. Stay tuned for the latest installment.

At all levels, we continue to coalesce around this important health issue, making headway in finding strategies and solutions to overcome obesity.

Have your own story about work underway? I welcome your update at obesity@gwu.edu.

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

• STOP Obesity Alliance in Dr. Sharma's Obesity Notes Blog, "5 As of Obesity Management at ASBP" and Bangor Daily News, "Medicare Agrees to Pick Up the Tab for Obesity Counseling."
• American Heart Association in TIME Healthland, "Why Even Healthy People Should Watch Their Salt Intake."
• American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery in American Medical News, "Rise in Extreme Obesity Creates New Levels of Treatment Complexity."
• Georgia Department of Public Health in NECN.com via Associated Press, "21 GA Schools Get Grants to Fight Obesity in Kids."
• Obesity Action Coalition in NBC News, "'Seatmates of Size' Should Check Ahead Before Flying, Experts Say."
• Rebecca Puhl, PhD, in MyHealthNewsDaily.com, "Doctors Biased Against Fat People, Too, Study Says."
• Trust for America's Health in Philly.com, "Talking with Jeffrey Levi of the Trust for America's Health." 

 Help Families Talk to Children about Weight! 

The new guide, "Weigh in: Talking to Your Children about Weight and Health," from the STOP Obesity Alliance and the Alliance for a Healthier Generation is receiving positive reviews from many organizations eager to use and share the resource. You can link to the e-book on your website with the hyperlinked cover shown here. E-mail obesity@gwu.edu with any questions.

STOP Obesity Alliance Participates in TEDMED's Great Challenges Program

The STOP Obesity Alliance continues its participation in TEDMED's Great Challenges Program. The goal of Great Challenges is to bring attention and understanding to persistent problems that have medical and non-medical causes, impact millions of lives and affect the well-being of all Americans. The Alliance has participated on a panel of leading experts which includes Rebecca Puhl, PhD and Obesity Action Coalition's Joe Nadglowski to address questions put forth to the group about obesity and provide thought-provoking ways to consider complex factors that contribute to obesity. Join the conversation here.

CCA Releases Updated Obesity Toolkit

Care Continuum Alliance (CCA) has released an updated toolkit entitled, "Managing Obesity to Improve Population Health: A Toolkit." The toolkit was developed to address the management of obesity by medical providers, employers and payers. The new toolkit includes case studies of successful programs that address obesity and weight management, an updated obesity benefit design as well as an obesity treatment guide. Click here to read the toolkit.

The National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) and the American Heart Association (AHA) released "2012 Shape of the Nation Report: Status of Physical Education in the USA," which raises awareness and provides data for an ongoing evaluation of the progress made and challenges that remain in physical education policies. This year's report found that while 74.5 percent of states mandate physical education in elementary through high school, most states fail to require a specific amount of instructional time and nearly half allow exemptions, waivers and/or substitutions. Click here to learn more about the report.

CRI Receives 2012 Health Literacy Innovator Award

Canyon Ranch Institute (CRI) was selected to receive the prestigious Health Literacy Innovations Champion Award. The award is given each year to the top organization that demonstrated commitment to excellence in health literacy. Click here to learn more.

RWJF and AHA Join Forces to Reverse Childhood Obesity Epidemic

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and AHA will partner to reverse childhood obesity by 2015 by creating and managing an advocacy initiative focused on changing local, state and federal policies to help children and adolescents eat healthier foods and be more active. RWJF will provide AHA with $8 million in initial funding and will focus on reaching communities hardest hit by the epidemic, including communities of color and lower-income communities. Click here to learn more about the collaboration.