They recently sent me the following update on their activities and links to their work:
As you know, America’s struggle with its weight is affecting much more than just the shape of the union…it’s actually affecting the state of the union. Whether it’s healthcare spending for weight-related health problems like diabetes, our economic productivity, or the readiness of our military, obesity is taking a drastic toll on the nation.Their full press release
With this in mind, the Strategies to Overcome and Prevent (STOP) Obesity Alliance issued policy recommendations today to help bring new urgency to combating adult obesity. Designed through multi-organizational collaboration, the recommendations address four key areas where the public and private sectors can impact the nation’s battle of the bulge:
- Redefining Success - There is no agreement between the medical, policy and research communities as to what constitutes successful weight loss. The Alliance recommends promoting the use of a sustained loss of five to 10 percent of current weight as a key measure to judge the effectiveness of weight-reduction interventions.
- Encouraging Innovation and Best Practices in Obesity Treatment -- Some people do not get the same benefit from traditional nutrition and exercise programs as others. The Alliance encourages the creation and distribution of best practice models that combine multiple intervention approaches.
- Addressing and Reducing Stigma as a Barrier to Obesity Treatment -- The Alliance recommends promoting programs that foster an open-discussion environment to collaborate, rather than isolate.
- Broadening the Research Agenda -- Any chronic health condition requires a foundation of reliable information to create change. The Alliance recommends a broadened research agenda that examines all important contributors to the obesity epidemic and how they interact with each other.
Their policy recommendations
