Much about obesity and related chronic diseases continues to be debated: Are obesity rates actually decreasing or not? Should we refer to obesity as a disease? However, it's hard for anyone to question the importance of taking obesity seriously.

To that end, I recently visited both The Obesity Society and the Obesity Action Coalition's websites to pledge STOP's support for their respective obesity campaigns.

The Obesity Society's Treat Obesity Seriously campaign aims to bring further awareness that we must acknowledge obesity is a serious medical condition, not a lifestyle choice. To advance this conversation, TOS invites all of us to take their pledge to demonstrate our commitment to treating obesity seriously. To take the pledge or learn more, click here.

The Obesity Action Coalition has created the Your Weight Matters Challenge to help prepare people with the information they need to have a productive conversation with their doctor about their weight and health. It includes a free toolkit that provides information about issues you may face when addressing weight including nutrition, exercise, weight-loss options and emotional issues. I highly recommend signing up.

And on a broader scale, employers also demonstrate their commitment to improve health through initiatives including National Employee Wellness Month (NEWM), which is designed to help business leaders learn how companies successfully engage employees in healthy lifestyles. NEWM showcases how companies can support employees by creating healthy cultures, improving their health and well-being while lowering healthcare costs and driving engagement. The STOP Obesity Alliance co-created NEWM 6 years ago and we continue to be a proud supporter. If your organization would like to support and become involved in this great initiative, I encourage you to email the Alliance staff at obesity@gwu.edu to learn more.

I also continue to read more stories about other initiatives, such as a local community church improving the quality of food served at public events and corporations addressing health with its employees.

STOP Obesity Alliance has always touted the message that improving health requires environments where people have opportunities to make healthful choices. These ongoing developments show that together, we are working to achieve these goals.

Ultimately, the path to achieving better health will be different for every one of us. For some, modest lifestyle changes will result in achieving their health goals. For others, more aggressive interventions may be necessary. Fortunately, there are many organizations and stakeholders working together to help provide guidance and support our own personal commitment to improving health.

I look forward to hearing more from our readers as to how you are working to create a more healthful environment.

Sincerely,

 

Psychological Consequences of Calling Obesity A Disease

April 22, 2014

NPR  

An interview on NPR highlights new research that found that thinking about obesity as a disease leads to bad diet choices. According to the transcript, study researchers said obese participants who read a news article about the AMA declaring obesity a disease were less likely to be concerned about their weight and more likely to choose high calorie food.

Parents Feel Limited in Ability to Prevent Child Obesity

April 11, 2014

Doctor's Lounge via HealthDay  

Parents want to help their children avoid obesity but feel limited in their ability to take action, according to a study published in Preventing Chronic Disease. Researchers found that parents felt an overarching desire to become better parents, which was identified as a potential incentive for pursuing obesity prevention efforts. Parents supported family-focused approaches to obesity prevention programs, such as parent-child cooking classes and family-focused sports leagues and clubs.

A Doctor's 'People Skills' Affect Patients' Health

April 10, 2014 

WebMD News from HealthDay

By Amy Norton 

A study published in PLOS One found that a doctor's attitude could directly affect patients' health. Researchers found that doctors who had taken classes to improve their people skills were more likely to encourage their patients to lose weight, lower their blood pressure, or manage pain.

No Real Progress on Child Obesity, Latest Report Says

April 7, 2014

USA Today

Kim Painter

A study published in JAMA Pediatrics found that overall child obesity rates are flat, yet rates of severe obesity are rising. Researchers note that reports of significant progress against child obesity in the US have been premature.

New Mandate for Coverage of Obesity Drugs

April 4, 2014 

MedPage Today

By Kristina Fiore 

Health insurance plans for federal employees will now cover medications for obesity. Plans will not be able to exclude new drugs, namely Qsymia and Belviq, from obesity treatment. Francesca Dea, executive director of The Obesity Society, said that the move sets the stage "for other health plans to follow," including private insurers, not all of whom currently cover drug therapy for obesity.