American Obesity Association


		Finally A Cure for Obesity!

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			In this section, we will explain research funding, what we have learned about obesity, what clinical trials are and how you can participate.
	Research

Advances in Research

Much remains unknown about obesity, but there is much useful information that has been discovered. Here are some things we do know about obesity.

Obesity and Medical Advice
85 percent of Americans do not receive advice about weight from a doctor, nurse, or other health professional.

Find more detailed information from the Center for Disease Control's (CDC) Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.

Trying to Lose Weight

Most people who try to lose weight do not use the recommended combination of reducing calories and exercising at least 150 minutes or more per week.

Read the abstract of the CDC's study, Prevalence of Attempting Weight Loss and Strategies for Controlling Weight.

About 11% of women and 10% of men eat fewer calories or less fat to lose weight or keep from gaining weight.

Find more detailed data on this at the CDC's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.

60% of Americans use physical activity or exercise to lose weight or keep from gaining weight.

Find more detailed data on this at the CDC's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.

The National Weight Control Registry (NWCR) is a national database of people who have successfully lost a substantial amount of weight and kept it off long-term. Here are some NWCR findings:

To keep the weight off that they have already lost, NWCR participants maintain high levels of physical activity. Their energy expenditure averages 2,800 calories per week.
The average caloric intake of women in the NWCR is 1,306 calories per day (24.3% of calories from fat), and for men, 1,685 calories per day (23.5% from fat).

Weight Control and Nutrition

On average, American women eat 1,732 calories per day, and men, 2,478 calories. For more detailed food intake information, visit the CDC's Faststats page.
57% of Americans ate meals and snacks away from home between 1994 and 1995. Find out more about the trend of more Americans eating out from the USDA's Agriculture Service.
One in three school-age children get more than 40 percent of their total calories from food and beverages eaten away from the home. Read more about children's eating habits from the USDA's Agriculture Service.

For more nutrition facts, check out these websites:

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food & Nutrition Research Briefs
USDA's Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals (CSFII). Results from 1994-96.
Trends in Food and Nutrient Intakes by Adults
CDC's Dietary Intake Averages
USDA's "What Americans of Hispanic Origin Eat"

Weight Control and Physical Activity
According to the 1996 Surgeon General's Report on Physical Activity and Health, more than 60 percent of U.S. adults do not engage in the recommended amount of activity. Approximately 25 percent of U.S. adults are not active at all.

The report also states that physical inactivity is more common among:

Women than men.

African American and Hispanic adults than whites.

Older than younger adults.

Less affluent than more affluent people.

AOA Does Its Part to
Advance Research

AOA Cost Study
In 1999, the AOA retained The Lewin Group to do a new study of the direct health care costs of obesity. This study demonstrates that one out of five health care dollars is spent on persons with obesity, making it one of the most expensive diseases in society. This cost study and its implications for employers providing health insurance was the subject of two articles in the New York Times.

Read the Lewin Group's cost report.
Read the article, Report on AOA Cost Study.
Read more about the costs of obesity.

AOA Survey on Parents' Perceptions of their Childrens' Weight

In a survey conducted August 11-27, 2000, the AOA established that the majority of parents in the U.S. believe that physical education or recess should not be reduced or replaced with academic classes.

Almost 30 percent of parents said that they are "somewhat" or "very" concerned about their children's weight. Comparing their own childhood health habits to their children's, 27 percent of parents said their children eat less nutritiously, and 24 percent said their children are less physically active.

Read an Executive Summary of the survey.

AOA Identifies
Research Needs

The AOA has presented evidence to the federal government and other organizations identifying key areas in need of research in the field of obesity. These areas include:

	Genetics
	Gender Differences
	Racial & Ethnic Disparities
	Childhood Obesity
	Disease Process
	Co-morbid & Related Conditions
	Treatment Outcomes Research
	Prevention
	Intervention
	Discrimination & Stigma
	Disability Research
	International Obesity Epidemic
	Training

Read the AOA's statements about obesity research needs presented to the following groups:

Congress - U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations

National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases' Strategic Planning Committee

National Academy of Sciences Institute of Medicine

National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research