Has America Reached its Tipping Point on Obesity?

September 9th, 2009

The STOP Obesity Alliance released recommendations for addressing obesity within health reform as part of a public discussion in Washington, D.C. on September 9. The recommendations will provide policymakers with considerations in their efforts to effectively address obesity in forthcoming reform bills.

Introduction & Remarks

Richard H. Carmona, M.D., M.P.H., STOP Obesity Alliance Health & Wellness Chairperson, 17th Surgeon General of the United States (2002-2006)

David Satcher, M.D., M.P.H., The Satcher Leadership Institute Director, 16th Surgeon General of the United States (1998-2002)

Christine Ferguson, J.D., STOP Obesity Alliance Director

Morgan Downey, J.D., STOP Obesity Alliance Policy Advisor, provides an overview of the Alliance recommendations and Joe Nadglowski, Jr., Obesity Action Coalition, provides commentary on the need for standardized and effective clinical interventions, flowing from evidence-based guidelines, such as those approved by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), that include acknowledging the health benefits of five to ten percent sustained weight loss to aid and support those individuals who are currently overweight or obese achieve improved health.

Morgan Downey discusses the importance of enhanced use of clinical preventive services to monitor health status and help prevent weight gain, especially for individuals who are already overweight and are at risk of becoming obese.

Jeff Levi, Ph.D., Trust for America’s Health, outlines the importance of effective, evidence-based community programs and policies that encourage and support healthy lifestyles, focus on health literacy, address health disparities, and represent a significant investment in population-based prevention of obesity.

Helen Darling, National Business Group on Health, discusses the need for research efforts to build the evidence for all three of the previous recommendations, continuously improving quality of care, bolstering our understanding of what does and does not work in various settings, and helping to translate the scientific research into practice recommendations for real-world clinical settings and communities.

Dr. Carmona provides closing remarks on the discussion and takes questions from the audience on the role of the Surgeon General and the impact of stigma associated with obesity in America.
Click here to download video. 

Click here to view the recommendations.

Click here to read the press release.