October 2015 Issue
IN THIS ISSUE
Alliance & Member News
News Round-Up



     
Today, more than a third of the adult population in the U.S. is affected by obesity and the number of adults who are affected by severe obesity continues to rise. It's time for a change in obesity care. Our nation, led by the healthcare community, must attack this disease from multiple angles and unite to overhaul the treatment of obesity. STOP Obesity Alliance recognizes this challenge and the important role we can play.

The first-ever National Obesity Care Week, Nov. 1-7, seeks to ignite a national movement to ensure that anyone affected by obesity receives respectful and comprehensive care. STOP is proud to be a founding sponsor of the campaign, along with The Obesity Society, the Obesity Action Coalition, and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. Many organizations are also joining the campaign from across the healthcare industry. We are proud that of these partnering organizations, half also are members of STOP. Thank you to our members who have partnered with us for this exciting campaign:
  • American Academy of Nurse Practitioners
  • American College of Preventive Medicine
  • American Institute for Cancer Research
  • American Medical Women's Association
  • Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
  • American Society for Nutrition
  • Endocrine Society
  • Healthcare Leadership Council
  • Medicaid Health Plans of America
  • Obesity Medicine Association
  • OWL
  • UConn Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity
  • World Obesity Federation
All of the supporters of National Obesity Care Week recognize that obesity is a multifactorial disease that can only be addressed with the full spectrum of evidence-based medical strategies. Although we must educate people about the full variety of care options, we must also address societal barriers such as weight bias. This year, the campaign targets healthcare professionals, encouraging them to use the campaign's trusted medical tools and resources to facilitate more active engagement with patients living with obesity.

In subsequent years, we will extend the campaign to patient communities and additional stakeholders to spark broader action. Our efforts will officially kick off on November 2nd at ObesityWeek, the premier, international conference focused on the science and treatment of obesity.

We need more voices - your voice - to reach our goal of achieving better care. Take the "Treat Obesity Seriously Pledge" or contact info@obesitycareweek.org for more information on how to sign on as a supporter. Mark your calendars, and join us in recognizing National Obesity Care Week. 
   
Sincerely,

 
Alliance & Member News
Alliance & Member News
STOP to Present and Host Booth at ObesityWeek 2015
STOP Obesity Alliance will present two posters and host an exhibit booth at ObesityWeek 2015. The presentations will focus on the results of a survey of primary care providers about a variety of obesity practices and the initial results of STOP's Obesity Decision Aid pilot project that took place at a primary care practice. The abstracts will be available following the conference and included in next month's newsletter. The American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery and The Obesity Society will host ObesityWeek 2015 Nov. 2-6 in Los Angeles. Click here to view the full schedule.
 
STOP Medical Director to Present at ASN Annual Conference
Scott Kahan, MD, MPH, STOP Obesity Alliance Medical Director, will present, "Navigating the New Obesity Guidelines and Algorithms," at the American Society for Nutrition (ASN)'s fifth annual conference Dec. 4-6 in Long Beach, CA. The conference, "Advances and Controversies in Clinical Nutrition," will focus on nutrition research and stimulate discussion on emerging or controversial topics that impact human health. CME credit is available for physicians, nurses and dietitians. Click here for more information.
 
ASBP becomes OMA
The American Society of Bariatric Physicians (ASBP) changed its name to Obesity Medicine Association (OMA). At Overcoming Obesity 2015, OMA revealed its new brand to members and attendees through a short video that explained the change. The colors of the new OMA logo represent the four pillars of a comprehensive obesity treatment plan: nutrition, physical activity, behavior, and medication. Click here to learn more.
 
ASMBS Foundation to Host United We Step
American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) will host the United We Step Pedometer Challenge on Nov. 2. The national pedometer challenge is designed to bring attention to the obesity epidemic in America, and encourage individuals to increase their daily physical activity. ASMBS is asking participants to pledge to track their step count on Nov. 2 and submit it by the end of the day. The goal is to have participants reach a cumulative 42 million steps, the equivalent of 20,800 miles - the boundary of the United States, in 24 hours. Click here to register. 

News Round-Up
News Round-Up
October 27, 2015
The New York Times
By Anahad O'Connor

A study financed by the National Institutes of Health and published online in Obesity found that children with obesity who reduce their sugar intake see health improvements after 10 days. Researchers replaced foods containing added sugar with other types of carbohydrates in a group of children's diets and found that although the children lost minimal or no weight, there were still large improvements in their blood pressure, cholesterol readings and other markers of health.
 
Industry Grapples With Added Sugars Divide
October 26, 2015
Politico
By Chase Purdy
 
According to POLITICO, members of the food industry are divided over Food and Drug Administration (FDA)'s initiative that would require companies to include added sugars, including a new Daily Value, on food labels. Companies such as Nestle, Mars, Welch's, POM Wonderful and KIND have shown support for the new transparent food labeling while the Grocery Manufacturers Association opposes the regulation.

Targeted Policy Actions Could Help Discourage Obesity
October 26, 2015
Stanford News
By Clifton B. Parker
 
An article published in the Virginia Journal of Social Policy & the Law by Stanford professor and legal ethics scholar, Deborah Rhode, suggests that society must adopt policies that address growing obesity rates. Rhode analyzed a series of government interventions across a range of policy options, including caloric disclosure requirements, taxes, sugar-sweetened drink bans, food stamp modifications, zoning regulations, marketing to children, physical education, litigation and education. The article concludes that litigious efforts like suing for misleading food marketing are unlikely to be as effective as educational campaigns, taxes, zoning regulations, and stricter regulation of food marketing. Rhode proposes several strategies she believes will be effective, including the creation of high-profile awareness campaigns that are subsidized through additional taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages, zoning regulations that prohibit fast-food restaurants from being located near schools, and improved food and beverage packaging and marketing practices.
 
Task Force Urges Screening of Overweight Adults for High Blood Sugar
October 26, 2015
NPR
By Rae Ellen Bichell
 
New guidelines released by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and published in the Annals of Internal Medicine suggest that all Americans with overweight and obesity between ages 40 and 70 get their blood sugar levels tested in order to identify those at risk for developing diabetes and those who already have the disease but don't know it. According to the article, the advisory group's previous recommendation did not mention weight but instead suggested that doctors test the blood sugar of patients who have high blood pressure, another risk factor for type 2 diabetes.
 
Fighting Obesity Requires a Choice: Profit or Public Health?
October 15, 2015
Policy Innovations
By Roberto de Vogli and Noemi Renzetti
 
The role of social environments as a contributor to obesity has become an increasingly prominent focus of obesity research. According to the article, a recent report from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) identified market deregulation, trade and agriculture policies as determinants of fast food consumption and body mass index (BMI). The article challenges policymakers to look beyond addressing individual behavioral change and instead tackle the underlying structural causes of the obesity epidemic. Beyond taxes, subsidies and bans on particular food items, the authors advocate for market-based approaches to curb obesity, including anti-trust laws and intergovernmental sanctions on transnational food companies.
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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