Conference Highlights

Obesity as a national healthcare issue in a presidential election year was a main focus of the AOA’s second conference, Obesity: The Public Health Conference, held in Washington, D.C. on September 13-14, 2000.

Conference highlights included:

• A panel discussion on presidential candidates and how their health policies affect persons with obesity. The panel included Vice President Albert Gore’s representatives, Melissa Goldstein, an expert on health issues, and Shirley Watkins, the Undersecretary of Agriculture for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services at the U.S. Department of Agriculture; Sally Canfield, director of issues for the George W. Bush Campaign; Margaret Heldring, former director of health policy for Senator Bill Bradley.
• The release of results from a new AOA survey on Parents’ Perceptions of their Children’s Weight, in which nearly 80% of parents responded that physical education or recess should not be reduced or replaced with academic classes.
• An address by William Dietz, M.D., director of the Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
• A presentation by Louisiana State Representative Renee Gill Pratt on state programs developed to prevent and manage obesity.
• Presentations by Susan Spencer, CBS News’ and Sally Squires, Washington Post, on the role of the media as a purveyor of weight control information.
• A cooperative session with the American Association of Health Plans on exploring the role of managed care plans in obesity treatment.

Wednesday, September 13, 2000
7:15 a.m.	Registration
7:15 a.m.	Continental Breakfast
8:15 a.m.	Welcome/Introduction Richard L. Atkinson, Jr., M.D. - AOA President and University of Wisconsin, professor of medicine and nutritional sciences
8:30 a.m.	Opening Keynote: The Current State of Obesity Research and Treatment Richard L. Atkinson, Jr., M.D.
9:00 a.m.	Obesity as a Leading Health Indicator and Implementation of Healthy People 2010 William H. Dietz, M.D., Ph.D. - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, director of the division of nutrition and physical activity
9:30 a.m.	Overview of Obesity Public Policy Activity Morgan Downey, J.D. - AOA Executive Director
10:00 a.m.	Update: The Health Care Costs of Obesity Robert J. Rubin, M.D. - The Lewin Group, president
10:20 a.m.	Survey Results: Parents' Perceptions of Child Weight Issues Judith S. Stern, Sc.D., R.D. - AOA Vice President and University of California at Davis, professor of nutrition
10:40 a.m.	Break
11:00 a.m.	Presidential Candidates & Their Health Policies: How Would Their Policies Affect Persons with Obesity? Presidential Campaign Health Advisors: Sally Canfield - George W. Bush campaign, director of issues Melissa Goldstein - Vice President Albert Gore's healthcare policy advisor Shirley Watkins - USDA, Undersecretary of Agriculture for Food, Nutrition & Consumer Services Margaret Heldring, Ph.D. - Senator Bill Bradley presidential campaign, director of health policy
11:40 a.m.	The Global Obesity Crisis Barry Popkin, Ph.D. - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, professor of nutrition
12:00 noon	Luncheon
1:00 p.m.	Poster Session

SESSION A: PREVENTION: CHILDHOOD OBESITY Speakers in this session will focus on the growing problem of childhood obesity: successful strategies for dealing with childhood obesity and the role of the schools, parents and the community.
1:45 p.m.	Panel: William H. Dietz, M.D., Ph.D. Howell Wechsler, E.D., M.P.H. - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nutrition education and physical activity specialist Francine Ratner Kaufman, M.D. - University of Southern California, professor of pediatrics Marc Jacobson, M.D., F.A.A.P. - Albert Einstein College of Medicine, professor of pediatrics and epidemiology
3:10 p.m.	Break

SESSION B: TREATMENT This session will cover which treatments work and which do not. In cooperation with the American Association of Health Plans, this session will explore the role of managed care plans in obesity treatment. This session will also cover the status of obesity treatment in Medicaid.
3:30 p.m.	What Works in Obesity Treatment? Robert Berkowitz, M.D. - University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, associate professor of psychiatry and pediatrics
3:50 p.m.	Obesity in the Managed Care Setting Christopher D. Still, M.Sc., D.O. - Geisinger Health System, director of High Risk Obesity Clinic Philip Smeltzer, M.Sc. - HealthNOW NY, Inc., director of health management systems
4:30 p.m.	Medicaid in Congress and the States Renee Gill Pratt - Louisiana State Representative (District 91) Kathy-Jo Hayden, M.P.A. - Hoffman-LaRoche, Inc., director of public affairs
5:30 p.m.	Adjournment and Reception

Thursday, September 14, 2000
7:45 a.m.	Registration
7:45 a.m.	Continental Breakfast
8:15 a.m.	Welcome and Overview Judith S. Stern, Sc.D., R.D. - AOA Vice President and University of California at Davis, professor of nutrition

SESSION C: RESEARCH Research is the key to the prevention and treatment of obesity. This session will cover the current state of obesity research at the National Institutes of Health and Congressional interest in expanding research. How can research on obesity be increased? What are the key research questions?
9:00 a.m.	Panel: Allen M. Spiegel, M.D. - National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases, director George A. Bray, M.D. - Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Boyd professor
10:10 a.m.	Break

SESSION D: CONSUMER PROTECTION Consumers are exposed to a host of different approaches to weight loss. This session will explore the efforts of the Federal Trade Commission and the Partnership for Healthy Weight Management to promote compliance with voluntary standards for the weight loss industry. In addition, this session will explore the growing role of dietary supplements for weight loss with discussion of their efficacy and advertising regulation. questions?

10:25 a.m

Federal Trade Commission Partnership Activities Walter Gross, J.D. - Federal Trade Commission, Partnership for Healthy Weight Management's project manager What We Know about Dietary Supplements Judith S. Stern, Sc.D., R.D. FTC Advertisements and Dietary Supplements Richard Cleland, J.D. - Federal Trade Commission, senior staff attorney

SESSION F: EDUCATION Speakers in this session will explore questions such as: Do most people understand the health risks of obesity? Where does the public get their information about obesity - nutritionists, physicians, infomercials? What does the public understand about weight loss and weight management? Are expectations about weight loss too high? What is the responsibility of the media as a purveyor of weight loss information? What is the role of personal responsibility in the society's view of obesity?
1:45 p.m	Panel: Susan Spencer - CBS News correspondent Sally Squires - Washington Post health and medical writer Karen Miller Kovach, M.S., R.D. - Weight Watchers' chief scientist and general manager of research and development J. Phillip French - Heart Smart International, owner and president
3:15 p.m	Break
3:15 p.m	Discussion of AOA's Proposed Action Plan for 2000-2001 Richard L. Atkinson, Jr., M.D. - AOA President and University of Wisconsin, professor of medicine and nutritional sciences
4:30 p.m	Closing