STOP Obesity Alliance - Strategies To Overcome And Prevent
September 2013 Issue
IN THIS ISSUE
Alliance & Member News
News Round-Up

  
 

For children, September means back to school. While they may not rejoice in hitting the books, they usually are excited about catching up with old friends and making new ones as they delve into a new school year.

 

But for some kids, heading back to school is not a time for excitement, in fact, it's quite the opposite. For some, back to school is marked by feelings of dread as they wonder whether this will be another year of being teased or bullied about their weight. Weight-based bullying is more prevalent now than ever. A study from the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University found that weight-based bullying accounts for 40 percent of reported teasing in adolescence. Many parents, however, are uncomfortable and uncertain about how to address these concerns with their children.

 

Now, even some schools are sending "BMI report cards" home to parents, making the need for understanding how to address weight-based bullying even more important.  

 

This and so many other questions around weight and health confront parents every day. Parents shouldn't feel alone in dealing with weight-based bullying and determining how to start a dialogue with their children that is open and productive. To help with this, the STOP Obesity Alliance partnered with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation to develop an online tool that can help parents to talk with their kids compassionately about weight and health. "Weigh In: Talking to Your Children About Weight and Health," is a free, online conversation guide that offers plain language responses to tough questions parents may get from children. Recently featured on Parents.com, Weigh In includes seven real-world scenarios, such as how to help kids with weight-based bullying, BMI confusion and how to talk to your child if they receive a BMI report card, body image and inter-family weight differences. 

 

This year, STOP, working in partnership with the Philadelphia Health Initiative - a group of local leaders working together to prevent obesity and diabetes in Philadelphia - expanded on the Weigh In guide to make it even easier to use. Together, the organizations created an accompanying Discussion Toolkit that contains everything a community leader needs to host a small group discussion on how to use the guide. In addition to tips for how to host a meeting, the Discussion Toolkit also includes a local resource list for Philadelphia families that identifies healthy places to go and things to do in the city. The list can serve as a model for other communities that may want to create a similar list of activities specifically for their neighborhoods.

 

Using the Discussion Toolkit, parents can become familiar with the guide scenarios and materials, and can lead group meetings with other friends and classroom parents to share advice and concerns.

 

The folks in Philly have worked hard to bring this concept to life. In fact, local organizations have used the guide and kit in a variety of ways including hosting "Lunch & Learn" sessions, in which the organizations invite employees who are parents or caretakers to participate in small group discussions to address this tough topic in an honest, open way.

 

Reaching parents and providing them with the tools they need is instrumental to addressing and overcoming childhood obesity. If you are interested in learning more or would like to host a Weigh In meeting in your area, we'd love to hear from you. Please email us at [email protected].

   

Best,
 Scott Kahan, MD, MPH
Alliance & Member News
Alliance & Member News
Several Alliance Steering Committee and Associate Members were featured in news stories this month including:
UnitedHealthcare Latino Health Solutions Offers STOP's Weigh In Materials as Resource

UnitedHealthcare Latino Health Solutions now offers the Weigh In guide and discussion toolkit as part of its resources for its members.  The materials can be viewed in Spanish or English.  Interested in offering these materials on your website?  Please email [email protected] for details. To view the UnitedHealthcare Latino Health Solutions web page, click here.

ACPM Hosts Discussions on Teaching Nutrition and Physical Activity in Medical School

American College of Preventive Medicine (ACPM), the Bipartisan Policy Center and the Alliance for a Healthier Generation will host discussions on different approaches to teaching nutrition and physical activity in medical school. The event will take place Oct. 17 in Washington, D.C. Remarks will be given throughout the event by distinguished experts including STOP member Bill Dietz, MD, PhD. Click here for more information.

ABOM Announces Increase in Number of 2013 Examination Candidates

American Board of Obesity Medicine (ABOM) announced a 33 percent increase in the number of physicians registered for the 2013 Certification Examination for Obesity Medicine Physicians compared to the number of physician candidates from 2012. The majority of the new registrants are from the fields of internal medicine and family medicine, at 41 and 26 percent of 2013 candidates, respectively. Click here for more details.

ACU Launches Campaign to Save National Health Services Corps

Association of Clinicians for the Underserved (ACU) launched a campaign aimed at preserving the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) program, following the organization's defunding. NHSC works to enhance access to care in underserved communities nationwide by placing nearly 10,000 NHSC clinicians in underserved communities to provide primary, oral, mental and behavioral health care. Click here to learn more about ACU's campaign.

George L. Blackburn, MD, PhD Receives ABOM Inaugural Recognition Award

Dr. George L. Blackburn, the Associate Director of Nutrition in the Division of Nutrition at Harvard Medical School, received the Master of the American Board of Obesity Medicine recognition award from ABOM. This award recognizes physicians who have made significant contributions to the science, practice and advancement of obesity medicine and obesity treatment. Click here to learn more.

NCPPA Announces 100th Signatory of the CEO Pledge

National Coalition for Promoting Physical Activity (NCPPA) announced that 100 CEOs have signed the CEO Pledge, a national campaign with the goal of encouraging every CEO in the U.S. to recognize physical activity as an important driver of employee health and business performance. For more information, click here.

News Round-Up
News Round-Up
September 24, 2013
Cincinnati.com
By Bowdeya Tweh

A survey conducted by Repass & Partners found that 83 percent of Americans believe obesity is the number one health problem in America. The survey found that the majority of people surveyed felt there were few safe options for seriously obese people to lose a significant amount of weight.

September 12, 2013
HealthDay
By Dennis Thompson

Children with obesity have a four times greater risk of having high blood pressure when they become adults in comparison to children with normal weight, according to research presented at an American Heart Association meeting.  Of the study participants, nearly 26 percent of the children with obesity ended up with high blood pressure as adults, compared to six percent of children with normal weight.

September 3, 2013
Reuters
By Julie Steenhuysen

A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that deaths related to heart disease could be prevented with better prevention efforts and treatment. According to the report, as many as 200,000 Americans might have avoided an early death in 2010 from a heart attack or stroke if they had received screening and treatment for preventable causes of heart disease such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity and smoking.


The content on these web pages is intended for educational and informational purposes only and is not designed to replace medical advice or professional medical services. The information should not be used as a substitute for the medical care and advice of your physician. Medical decisions should be made in consultation with your qualified health care provider. There may be variations in treatment that your health provider may recommend based on individual facts and circumstances.
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