AOA Applauds Partnership for Healthy Weight Management
Disclosure Guidelines for Weight Loss

WASHINGTON, Feb. 10, 1999 —The American Obesity Association, a national non-profit advocacy organization, is pleased to announce its endorsement of the Partnership for Healthy Weight Management Disclosure Guidelines for Weight Loss Products and Programs.

At the announcement of the Partnership today, AOA Vice President Judith S. Stern, who chaired the committee of the Institute of Medicine which recommended such guidelines in 1995, said, "We appreciate the tremendous effort the Federal Trade Commission has put into this process. It is very encouraging to see corporate weight control programs, government agencies, consumers and professional societies come to agreement over recommendations for consumers. Dr. Stern added, "These Voluntary Guidelines will help eliminate many of the myths about treating obesity, such as claims that weight loss is easy and does not require sustained personal effort. Providers of weight loss services who follow these Guidelines have taken a giant step in restoring the confidence of consumers of weight loss services."

According to Morgan Downey, Executive Director of the American Obesity Association, "The members of the Partnership struggled for some time over the issue of requiring programs to conduct treatment outcome studies. The Guidelines urge but do not require such studies. However, the writing is on the wall that consumers will expect such information in the future. AOA looks forward to working with the members of the Partnership on this next stage of the process."

According to latest statistics, 54 percent (97 million) of adult Americans, age 20 to 74, are overweight. Nearly half of those, or 22.5 percent (39 million) of American adults, have obesity, a point at which their health is seriously at risk from numerous conditions due to excess body fat such as hypertension, stroke, some cancers and Type 2 diabetes. It is estimated that at any one time that one-third of adult Americans are engaged in some type of weight loss or management practice.

There are several effective options for persons who are overweight or obese to manage their weight, including caloric restrictions, increased physical activity, behavior therapy, pharmacotherapy, and surgery, said Mr. Downey. AOA encourages persons concerned about their weight to become more knowledgeable about the various options. All providers of weight loss and management services can help educate the public on prevention and treatment of obesity by keeping abreast of current research and therapies.

AOA is headquartered in Washington, DC. AOA’s mission is to promote recognition of obesity as a major public health problem, educate the public about the health risks of obesity, advocate for greater research on obesity, advocate for coverage by managed care organizations for obesity prevention and treatment.