Statement of the American Obesity Association Urging Prioritization
of Obesity in the Health Goals of The Nation
WASHINGTON, November 12, 1998 —The American Obesity Association (AOA), is urging the federal government to take a firm stance in recognizing obesity as a chronic disease. It is clear that obesity has become a health epidemic. The number of individuals with obesity in our nation has soared from where it was 20 years ago. Today, 55% (approximately 97 million) of adult Americans are overweight or obese. In addition, America's children are off to an unhealthy start by practicing sedentary behaviors and poor eating habits. It is no wonder that 13.7% of children (age 6-11) and 11.5% of adolescents (age 12-17) are considered overweight.
The health goals of our Nation, in the form of the Healthy People 2010 document, are currently being drafted and are open for public comment. As a result of the objectives set forth in Healthy People 2000, released in 1990, many positive chances in the health state of the Nation have been made in several major areas. However, obesity continues to worsen. Healthy People 2000, made little mention of the Nation's risk of becoming more overweight or obese. Today, this health risk can no longer be neglected. Yet, the Healthy People 2010 draft document does just that - neglects obesity at its most hazardous point.
Healthy People 2000 included objectives on overweight prevalence, sound weight loss practices, and worksite weight management programs. None of those objectives, today, have resulted in improvement. Furthermore, the incidence and prevalence of diseases related to obesity such as type 2 diabetes mellitus, are also on the rise. Healthy People 2010 addresses obesity by simply using the same failed strategies of the past 10 years. It is now critical to create objectives that offer workable solutions to reach those goals.
Thus, AOA has prepared comments with a two-fold mission to submit to Healthy People 2010. AOA proposes that:
- Obesity be recognized as a leading health indicator to alert the general public of the seriousness of the obesity epidemic and to encourage partners such as managed care organizations and businesses to become actively involved in educating the public on the health risks of obesity.
- Obesity have a separate chapter in Healthy People 2010 under the objective, "Prevent and Reduce Diseases and Disorders." By including clear, trackable objectives for obesity, the health agencies and organizations that use Healthy People 2010 as a guideline can prioritize ways to implement obesity education to reach the public on national, state, and local levels.
Healthy People is defined as the "prevention agenda for the Nation...a tool that identifies the most significant preventable threats to health and focuses public and private sector efforts to address those threats. As the second most preventable cause of death in the United States behind smoking, obesity' most certainly falls into the Nation's prevention agenda as defined by the Department of Health and Human Services.
Prevention is key to controlling and reducing obesity, a chronic disease that also impacts the Nation's economy. With costs amounting to at least $99.2 billion attributable to obesity, it is crucial for government agencies and private organizations to increase their focus in this area. Obesity's economic impact is both direct, reflected in medical costs, and indirect, reflected in reduced productivity due to morbidity and mortality.
AOA Executive Director and CEO, Morgan Downey states that, "The specific objectives proposed by AOA addresses the two main goals of Healthy People 2010: increasing quality and years of healthy life and eliminating health disparities. By furthering the understanding of obesity and increasing the amount, type, reach and scope of obesity education, it is our belief that the health of our Nation with respect to obesity can be improved. However, improvement can only result from commitment and action to clear, trackable goals such as those that AOA proposes for Healthy People 2010. Healthy People is the perfect format and now is the necessary time to set these goals.
AOA's comments are divided into several sections and is currently 65 pages in length. These comments are available through the AOA office by request via phone, in writing, or by e-mail to the public relations coordinator through AOA's web site: http://www.obesity.org.
