American Obesity Association Applauds
New Guidelines on Treatment of Obesity

WASHINGTON, June 17, 1998 —The American Obesity Association today hailed the issuance of a guideline on the treatment of obesity in adults by the National Institutes of Health.

"The guidelines recognize that the epidemic of obesity is caused by an interaction of genes and the environment," according to Morgan Downey, executive director and CEO of the American Obesity Association. "Clearly obesity is not simply caused by bad behavior but involves physiological, metabolic and genetic factors as well as social, cultural and behavioral causes."

According to AOA, "The NIH should be congratulated for issuing a comprehensive guideline which will encourage health professionals to learn more about treating persons with obesity."

"The guidelines recognize that there are effective options for the management of overweight and obese patients, including dietary approaches, increased physical activity, behavior therapy, pharmacotherapy, and surgery," said Mr. Downey.

"Many health plans do not cover or poorly cover services to prevent or treat obesity. However, nearly $100 billion a year is spent on diseases associated with obesity, such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Health plans should incorporate programs to prevent and treat obesity, which is essential to both improving health and lowering costs," said Mr. Downey.

The AOA is a non-profit, health advocacy organization headquartered in Washington, D.C. AOA’s mission includes promoting the recognition of obesity as a disease, educating the public of the health risks associated with obesity, supporting obesity research, and advocating health insurance coverage of obesity treatment and prevention.