Happy Halloween! I hope that everyone has had an enjoyable start to the fall. We are looking forward to the beginning of ObesityWeek in Boston on Sunday. ObesityWeek focuses on the basic science, clinical application, surgical interventions and prevention of obesity and is a joint meeting of The Obesity Society and the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery. Both groups are STOP members. This year's line-up of educational opportunities and presentations is exceptional and I hope that many of you are planning to attend.

The STOP team is pleased to announce that we will release our new tool for health care providers on Wednesday, November 5 at ObesityWeek to reach providers that are looking for tools to support their practice. Why Weight? A Guide to Discussing Obesity & Health With Your Patients offers guidance and suggestions on how to initiate conversations with adult patients about weight and health. The tool is designed to help providers build a safe and trusting environment with patients to facilitate open, productive conversations about weight.  

The STOP team developed this tool to respond to uncertainty among providers about how to initiate empowering and sensitive conversations about weight with their patients. Conversations about weight can be challenging. But we know that many patients are looking for guidance and support from their providers. Helping providers take the first step is crucial.

The tool discusses potential scenarios providers may face and suggests ways to approach the conversation, including strategies for:

• Building trust and connections
• Beginning the conversation about weight and health
• Assessing patient readiness
• Promoting active listening
• Addressing realistic goals with patients
• Discussing culture, tradition, and social supports

In addition to skills for building a safe, trusting environment with patients and facilitating productive conversations about weight, the guide also includes practical information on coding and patient accommodation. 

STOP developed the guide using a comprehensive process that included an audit of available research on provider-patient communication and consultation with a range of experts from obesity practice and research, primary care, nutrition education, women's health, minority health, and the patient community to gain insight from their expertise and to guide development of the tool.

We look forward to sharing this tool with you. Please let us know how this tool helps open the door to weight counseling. We value your experience and feedback.

Thanks,

 

Doctors Must Examine Own Weight Bias before Treating Patients, Researcher Says

October 23, 2014

MedicalXpress.com

By David Bauman

The article highlights how research has found that some patients with obesity are reluctant to seek medical attention because of feeling judged or disrespected about their weight. In response to this problem, the Rudd Center has created several evidence-based training films that address weight bias among health providers and provides tips on what they can do to reduce these barriers in clinical practice.

Obesity and Depression Often Twin Ills, Study Finds

October 16, 2014

HealthDay

By Steven Reinberg

A study conducted by the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics found that depression and obesity are often associated. Study researchers found that 43 percent of depressed adults and 55 percent of patients taking antidepressants have obesity, with women accounting for the majority of those with both.

How Family Dynamics at the Dinner Table Affect Kids' Weight

October 13, 2014

TIME

By Alice Park

A study published in Pediatrics found that children who eat regular family meals tend to have lower rates of obesity and eat more nutritiously. Study researchers noted that children who have overweight or obesity had family meals that included more negative emotional interactions - hostility, poor quality interactions, little communication, and more controlling behavior from parents - compared to children who were not obese.

How Can Doctors Tell Patients to Lose Weight Without Driving Them Away?

October 7, 2014

Healthline

By Sandra Levy

The article highlights ways for doctors to discuss weight with their patients without creating a barrier within the doctor-patient relationship. According to the article, focusing on health rather than weight, using social media as a tool to influence patients and highlighting positives rather than negatives are the top methods to effectively communicate with patients.

For the Formerly Obese, Stigma Remains after Weight is Lost

October 6, 2014

NPR

By Sarah Varney

A study published in Sociological Inquiry found that the stigma of obesity can remain even after the weight is lost. Study researchers noted that potential suitors would hesitate to form a romantic relationship with someone who once had overweight or obesity due to the belief that people who have never had obesity can control their weight and those who have had obesity have less willpower.