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

The STOP Obesity Alliance (STOP) hosted Investment Today, Savings Tomorrow?, a webinar on January 14 where experts discussed the pros and cons of integrating obesity treatment into state essential health benefits packages. STOP Director Scott Kahan, MD, MPH moderated a panel discussion that included perspectives from Christine Ferguson, JD, Director of the Rhode Island Health Exchange and Strategic Initiatives Advisor to the STOP Obesity Alliance; Joe Nadglowski, President and CEO of the Obesity Action Coalition; Donna Ryan, MD, President and Professor Emeritus at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center; and Jennifer Schwartz, Director of Federal Policy at the Southern Governors Association. Click here to view the archived webinar online.

Obesity Action Coalition (OAC) announced the release of a new "Understanding Your Weight-loss Options" brochure, a 40-page publication that offers readers up-to-date information on safe and effective weight loss options for individuals wanting to address their weight and improve their health. Click here to view the brochure online.

AHA Challenges Americans to Reduce Salt Intake

The American Heart Association (AHA) partnered with the American Stroke Association to launch a three-week Sodium Swap Challenge. The Challenge called upon Americans to identify and track the foods in their diet with extra salt that could increase their risk for heart disease and stroke. Over the course of the challenge, participants were asked to check food labels and track sodium consumption daily. Click here to learn more.

OAC Names Ted Kyle, RPh, MBA as Vice-Chairman

Obesity Action Coalition (OAC) named longtime member and obesity expert Ted Kyle, RPh, MBA, Vice-Chairman of the organization. Kyle was also the recipient of the 2012 OAC "Member of the Year" award presented at the inaugural Your Weight Matters Convention.  In addition, Kyle chairs The Obesity Society's Advocacy Committee. Click here to learn more about Kyle and his work with OAC.

ACPM to Host Annual Preventive Medicine Meeting

The American College of Preventive Medicine (ACPM) will host its Preventive Medicine 2013 annual meeting on February 20-23 in Scottsdale, Ariz. The meeting will present new research and innovations in areas such as clinical preventive medicine, lifestyle medicine practice and worksite wellness. Click here to register.

Obese individuals have grown increasingly likely to underestimate their true weight, according to a study published in PLoS ONE. Study researchers found that the rate of accuracy of an obese individuals' own estimation of his or her BMI in 2009 was 53 percent, dropping from 80 percent in 1998.

Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) recently introduced legislation to encourage healthier living. Provisions in the bill include the addition of measures to encourage better nutrition and more physical activity in schools, as well as tax credits for businesses that offer comprehensive workplace wellness programs.

In response to the rising rates of obesity in America, healthcare facilities have begun providing wrought iron waiting room chairs as well as wheelchairs and beds made to sustain extra weight for obese and morbidly obese patients. Some hospitals have spent as much as $5 million in updates for obese patients over the past year, according to a recent report released by Texas-based healthcare supply chain company Novation LLC.

The "Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer" published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute found that cancer rates in the U.S. continue to fall, with the exception of certain cancers, including several that are related to obesity such as kidney, pancreas and uterine cancer. Dr. John Seffrin, CEO of the American Cancer Society, commented that while the drop in cancer incidence is an achievement, the U.S. must now face how to continue those gains in the face of new obstacles like obesity.

About one-quarter of people think it's possible for a person to be very overweight and still healthy, according to a poll conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. The poll suggests few Americans recognize the link between weight and some types of cancer, arthritis, sleep apnea and even infertility. Only 52 percent of those surveyed said they've discussed the health risks of being overweight with a doctor.

Kaiser Permanente launched a program in 2008 that encourages doctors to ask patients about exercise while taking blood pressure and other vital signs during a routine check-up. Today, nearly nine million patients are asked at every visit about physical activity and other medical systems are implementing similar programs.

According to a study published in BMJ Open, primary care physicians overwhelmingly support additional training and practice-based changes such as nutrition counseling and having scales report body mass index to help them improve obesity care in their practice.