Last week The Lancet published an Obesity Series, featuring six articles and several comment and perspective pieces dedicated to obesity research. A similar series was released in 2011, which examined the drivers, trends, and necessary interventions of the obesity epidemic. The 2015 Series explores current food environments and the exploitive relationship they have with the biological, psychological, social, and economic foundations of obesity. The origins of obesogenic environments are extensive, and this series recognizes the sum of influences that our surroundings and conditions of living have on promoting obesity in a population.

We know that the current food system reinforces preferences and demands for foods of poor nutritional quality. We also know that obesity is viewed far too often as an individual responsibility rather than a societal one. The articles in The Lancet approach both of these concerns simultaneously by considering community responses to food system improvement. The current food environment comprises an interconnected network of producers, industry, and institutions, all of which can be markedly influenced by policy changes. This series works to expose barriers, as well as provide potential policy solutions in the effort to reverse the obesity epidemic.

As The Lancet editors Sabine Kleinert and Richard Horton discuss in their opening comment, this Series provides an opportunity to rethink and reframe obesity, a concept echoed in the comment from Kelly Brownell and Christina Roberto on extending evidence-based research to policy efforts. In the first paper of the series, Christina Roberto and colleagues review the global efforts taken to address obesity and discuss potential roots of their unfortunately infrequent progress.

Next, Corinna Hawkes and colleagues identify the mechanisms through which food policies can affect obesity and how these mechanisms are utilized by various policy areas. Their research presents interesting implications for effective policy design. The third paper from Terry T-K Huang et al. presents the need for public support in obesity policy efforts and discusses strategies for doing so. Tim Lobstein and colleagues present the fourth paper, which delves into the unique nutritional policies needed to target childhood and adolescent obesity specifically. In particular, their research targets food supply, food markets, and commercial activities.

I authored the fifth paper, along with Louise Baur, Kevin Hall, Rebecca Puhl, Elsie Taveras, Ricardo Uauy, and Peter Kopelman. We present the significant lack of training and poor preparation health care professionals receive with regards to obesity treatment. This issue is compounded by inadequate medical education in obesity issues, weight bias in both education and medical settings, and mismanagement of both adult and pediatric obesity treatment.  Our research shows that health care training and improved systems of care are greatly needed in the management and treatment of obesity.

The final paper by Boyd Swinburn and colleagues addresses collective responsibility in curbing the obesity epidemic and argues for strengthening accountability systems to reduce the prevalence of obesity. They present an accountability framework that involves regulatory actions to create healthier food environments on a global scale.

This is a very exciting opportunity to illustrate how governments and care systems can support health food choices through regulation and policy. I hope you will join me in distributing the articles in this comprehensive series. As always, please feel free to contact us with any comments or questions at obesity@gwu.edu.

Thanks,

February 24, 2015

The Acadiana Advocate

By Bill Lodge

A global effort that includes researchers in Baton Rouge has identified 97 new genetic factors that contribute to obesity and 49 genetic markers that determine where fat is stored in the body. "For the first time ever, we are finally starting to see a stable set of genetic markers that defines the risk of obesity," said Tuomo Rankinen, associate professor of human genomics at LSU's Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge. "With this information, we can begin looking at the bigger picture of obesity and start targeting its causes and underlying pathways with more precise therapies."

Proposed Law In Puerto Rico Would Fine Parents Of Obese Children

February 10, 2015

NPR

By Eyder Peralta

The proposed bill would require public school teachers to be on the lookout for kids who may be at risk for obesity, and to refer them to a social worker or a counselor. Officials from Puerto Rico's Health Department would meet with the parents to come up with a plan of action, which would include diet, exercise, and monthly or weekly follow-up visits, to make sure parents are complying. Exceptions would be made for children whose obesity is the result of a medical condition. If no progress has been made after six months, the family would be given another six months to a year to comply. If no progress is made by then, the parents would face fines of between $500 and $800.

February 4, 2015

Huffington Post

By Elena Hall