The Power to Tell Your Story

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In response to the ongoing policy discussions on the role of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) on weight and health, The Obesity Society (TOS) concludes that SSBs contribute to the United States’ obesity epidemic, particularly among children. Based on an in-depth analysis of the current research, TOS's position statement provides several recommendations for improving health, including that children minimize their consumption of SSBs.

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New research published in The Obesity Society's journal, Obesity, shows that most Americans support policies that address weight discrimination. In fact, approximately 3 out of 4 individuals support efforts to add body weight as a protected class under Civil Rights laws, and the majority of those surveyed (at least 60%) are supportive of other policy efforts to address weight discrimination across the nation.

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The Obesity Society (TOS) issues an official position statement pointing to the pervasive availability of foods high in energy density as a contributing factor for weight gain and obesity.

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Researchers used data from the 2007 - 2012 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) to estimate the proportion of adults in the United States recommended for treatment based on The Obesity Society (TOS), The American Heart Association (AHA) and The American College of Cardiology Guidelines (2013) for Managing Overweight and Obesity in Adults, released in November 2013. Data show 131 million American adults – about 65 percent – are recommended for behavioral weight-loss treatment, with 83% of those (or 116 million) also recommended for pharmacotherapy. Another 25% (or 32 million) of adults recommended for both pharmacotherapy and behavioral treatment are also potential candidates for bariatric surgery.

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Recently released Census Bureau data show that the number of people commuting by bike has increased by 60% over the past decade - but until now, the increase has not been closely tied to a supportive city infrastructure. Researchers evaluated how the development of the Minneapolis Greenway affected the commute of residents over a ten-year period. The research found that bike-friendly infrastructure changes were tied to increases in “active commuting” by bike-riding residents, which can promote healthy weight and reduce cardiac risk.

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This study adds evidence to the current thinking that individuals with obesity can successfully reduce cravings using distract tasks. For this study, researchers tested the effects of three, 30-second distraction techniques to reduce cravings for the study participant’s favorite foods. They found that the effect of tapping one’s own forehead and ear with their index finger, tapping one’s toe on the floor, or a control task of staring at a blank wall, all worked significantly to reduce the cravings; however, forehead tapping worked best out of all techniques.

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While recent studies indicate that added sugar consumption has begun to decline, no research has examined whether these changes have persisted, or are consistent across critical subpopulations. Researchers examined five nationally representative surveys about food intake in the U.S. from 1977 to 2010, and found that added sugar consumption by American adults has increased by about 30% in the last three decades. This study will be recognized by TOS Pediatric Obesity Section with a Poster of Excellence Award, an honor given each year to the most outstanding abstracts in the research area.

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Recent guidance from the United States’ Affordable Care Act and the United Kingdom’s Responsibility Deal encourage calorie labeling in chain restaurants, yet there have been mixed results as to the effects of calorie labeling on consumers’ meal choices and weight status. This first-ever, long-term study on calorie labeling shows that consistent exposure to prominent calorie labeling of main meals reduced the likelihood of young adults gaining any weight over a one-year period by 50%. This study will be presented as part of the Obesity Journal Symposium.

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This research evaluates the perception of obesity among both the American public and healthcare professionals during the past year. Results show a significant shift in perceptions of obesity in 2014, with the percent of Americans seeing obesity as a community problem increasing as much as 13% and the percent of healthcare professionals increasing 18%. Data also show differences among various demographic groups.

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A diet high in fat can increase one’s risk for diabetes, obesity and metabolic syndrome; however few studies have assessed the effects of a maternal high fat diet on offspring. This research suggests that a high-fat maternal diet during pregnancy and while breastfeeding could have significant and lasting detrimental effects on the brain function and behavior of children. The study is one of few basic science studies conducted to measure the direct effect of a high-fat maternal diet on the cognitive functioning on offspring.

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Researchers explored whether high- or low- protein diets might lead to less weight gain when consuming excess calories due to the ability of the body to burn extra energy with a high-protein diet. They found that study participants all gained similar amounts of weight regardless of diet composition; however, there was a vast difference in how the body stored the excess calories. Those who consumed normal- and high- protein diets stored 45% of the excess calories as lean tissue, or muscle mass, while those on the low-protein diet stored 95% of the excess calories as fat. Study results also show that the increase in metabolism tied to a high-protein diet was not sustainable when participants changed to a normal-protein diet, suggesting that the human body cannot be trained to maintain a higher metabolism.

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Employers increasingly offer financial incentives to employees for participation in wellness activities; however whether these incentives lead to improved health behaviors and outcomes is unclear. This study gathered data on adult health plan members for three years, and compared the uptake of telephone health coaching among members who received employee incentives to those who did not. Results show those offered incentives were 33 times more likely to use the health coaching, and also did so sooner.

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The Obesity Society (TOS) outgoing president, Steven Smith, MD, presented the first-ever presidential medals to influential public figures during the Opening Session of the Society’s annual meeting, ObesityWeekSM 2014, this week in Boston. The recipients include TOS past-president and pioneer in obesity research and treatment George Bray, MD; United States Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO); HBO’s John Oliver; and, former FDA leader, Eric Coleman, MD. This is the first time TOS recognized key public figures for efforts that support the Society’s goals and mission.

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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration took a step to help consumers make informed food selections with two rules issued Nov. 25, 2014 that require calorie information to be listed on menus in chain restaurants. The Obesity Society commends efforts to provide more information to consumers so they are better able to make informed decisions regarding their food choices and their health.

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A new NIH Working Group report published in the journal Obesity identifies differences between individuals as one of the key challenges associated with weight loss and long-term weight control.

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The United States Senate took long-awaited action to confirm Vivek Murthy, MD, as United States Surgeon General, a step The Obesity Society (TOS) calls promising for the future of obesity research and treatment.

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The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved EnteroMedic’s VBLOC® vagal blocking therapy, delivered via the Maestro® System, which is the first medical device approved for obesity treatment that targets the nerve pathway between the brain and the stomach. The Obesity Society calls this a "a novel device that interrupts signals from the stomach to the brain that are believed to be involved with stomach emptying and feelings of fullness."

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The first-ever clinical practice guideline for the drug treatment of obesity offers a new tool for health practitioners looking to the latest pharmacotherapy strategies as a means of treating patients with obesity. The Obesity Society says the guideline supplements the TOS/AHA/ACC Obesity Treatment Guidelines to fill a gap in treatment.

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Leading obesity organizations release a joint position statement supporting disability protections for obesity under certain circumstances and call for these protections to be enacted in the United States.

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The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved lisdexamfetamine dimesylate, under the brand name Vyvanse, to treat moderate to severe binge eating disorder (BED) in adults, a first of its kind prescription drug specifically indicated for BED. TOS says that understanding the differences between obesity and BED is important for clinicians, as BED is an eating disorder that affects only a portion of those with the medical disease obesity.

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In an attempt to address the significant problem of childhood obesity in the United States territory, Puerto Rican officials have proposed a $500 - $800 fine for parents whose children have obesity and have not improved after parent-focused education. While some public and pediatric health organizations have called the bill “unfair,” The Obesity Society (TOS) and The Obesity Action Coalition (OAC) go further to call it a misguided policy that ignores the core scientific understanding of obesity as a disease.

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New research in the journal Obesity provides the first glimpse of weight-gain guidance for pregnant women with various classes of obesity based on body mass index (BMI), and suggests that they not gain any weight until mid-pregnancy or later.

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A recent Lancet series explores various international efforts to address obesity, and calls for public health and policy approaches to improve the food environment as it relates to obesity treatment and prevention. The Obesity Society supports ongoing dialogue and collaborative discussions with the food industry, other industry stakeholders and public health officials, and calls for developing evidence-based initiatives to improve public health.

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New research led by Kimberly A. Gudzune, MD, MPH, and published in the Annals of Internal Medicine finds that commercial weight-loss programs can offer significant weight loss after one year of participation when compared to a control group, which could be medically significant for many people with obesity or excess weight. According to the authors, many commercial programs show promising weight-loss results, but additional research is needed to better understand the long-term outcomes. Further, given that the programs were not compared directly against one another using the same study and evaluation methods, this research should not be used to rank one program over another.

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The first study of its kind evaluating ordering patterns of children’s meals when provided with healthier menu items and changes in restaurant revenues shows potential for both improved children’s health and restaurant growth. This study, published in The Obesity Society’s scientific journal Obesity, shows promise for other restaurateurs looking to promote healthy eating among children while remaining competitive in the marketplace.

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The first study of its kind measuring the brain’s role in mediating caloric intake following alcohol consumption among women shows that alcohol exposure sensitizes the brain’s response to food aromas and increases caloric intake.

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New research using data from the reputable Look AHEAD study suggests doctors may want to look at results from a patient’s first two months of intensive lifestyle intervention (ILI) to help predict his or her long-term success. These secondary analyses conducted by Unick and colleagues published in the July issue of Obesity, the scientific journal of The Obesity Society examined the association between initial weight loss (first two months of treatment) and long-term weight loss (eight years after initial treatment).

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Leading obesity organizations come together to host largest, international scientific conference on obesity in its third year

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Four leading obesity research, treatment and prevention groups issue a joint scientific statement recommending dietary supplements for weight loss claiming curative or medicinal qualities be subject to review and approval by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). To do so, the groups call for DSHEA reform to provide FDA and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) the increased regulatory authority and funding to protect the public from false claims of safety and efficacy of dietary supplements.

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For the first time, researchers have identified two genetic variants that interact to alter the brain responses to high-calorie foods, a tie that could aid in the development of targeted treatments for obesity and overweight. Researchers at Imperial College London led by Tony Goldstone, MD, PhD, of Consultant Endocrinologist, found that two gene variants - FTO and DRD2 - influenced activity in the brain reward system when looking at pictures of high-calorie foods. The findings will be presented during an oral presentation on Thursday, Nov. 5, at The Obesity Society Annual Meeting at ObesityWeekSM 2015 in Los Angeles, CA.

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New research shows that brain responses to written food words differ between lean individuals and those with obesity, and suggests that both stress and genetics could influence excess eating. The pair of studies led by Susan Carnell, PhD, member of The Obesity Society (TOS) and Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, reinforces the need to better understand how the external food environment interacts with our biology, and may aid the development of behavioral interventions to help individuals with obesity or those at high risk for the disease. The findings will be unveiled during an oral presentation on Tuesday, Nov. 3, and a poster presentation on Wednesday, Nov. 4, at The Obesity Society Annual Meeting at ObesityWeekSM 2015 in Los Angeles, CA.

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In one of the largest studies ever conducted to better understand insurance coverage of obesity treatments, researchers found that three out of four consumers report that they are not covered for necessary, evidence-based obesity treatment services, including access to a registered dietician (72% not covered), medical weight management (77% not covered), bariatric surgery (76% not covered) or FDA-approved obesity drugs (84% not covered). The findings will be presented during an oral presentation on Wednesday, Nov. 4, at The Obesity Society (TOS) Annual Meeting at ObesityWeekSM 2015 in Los Angeles, CA.

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Prior research has shown that stress is associated with obesity in adults, and now for the first time, research suggests Latino parents who feel high levels of stress are twice as likely to have children with obesity as well. Researchers led by Carmen Isasi, MD, PhD, from Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, examined data from the Study of Latino Youth (SOL Youth), a study funded by the National, Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of NIH, to determine the relationship between parental stress and child weight status in the Latino population. The findings will be presented during a poster presentation on Friday, Nov. 6, at The Obesity Society Annual Meeting at ObesityWeekSM 2015 in Los Angeles, CA.

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New research finds that one night of sleep deprivation and six months on a high-fat diet could both impair insulin sensitivity to a similar degree, demonstrating the importance of a good night’s sleep on health. This study, conducted by Josiane Broussard, PhD, and colleagues from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, CA, used a canine model to examine whether sleep deprivation and a high-fat diet affect insulin sensitivity in similar ways. The findings will be presented during a poster presentation on Thursday, Nov. 5, at The Obesity Society Annual Meeting at ObesityWeekSM 2015 in Los Angeles, CA.

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At ObesityWeek 2015 will be held in California, a state that leads the way when it comes to working to establish new policies intended to reduce obesity. Some sessions and presentations will include a local focus.

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Researchers led by NIH identify potential genetic contributors to weight loss and directions for future research.

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The first long-term research study of its kind ties masculine gender expression, or how much an individual conforms to masculine norms, to higher Body Mass Index (BMI) in youth.

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Given the high stress levels, extended periods of screen time and regular social outings many Americans experience day-to-day in environments where high-calorie foods are readily available, it can be easy to fall into the habit of mindless eating – where we’re too distracted to pay attention to how much, what and why we’re eating. Research suggests that practicing mindfulness – or taking the time to bring awareness to present-moment experiences with an open attitude of curiosity and non-judgment – can be effective in allowing us to make more thoughtful food choices and recognize when we are hungry, satisfied or full. The latest research in this area led by Jennifer Daubenmier, PhD, Assistant Professor at the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, suggests that the impact of mindful eating could be even greater.

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Exposing common statistical errors and bias in obesity research to improve the reliability of future research is the aim of the authors of three new papers and a commentary published today in the April issue of Obesity, the scientific journal of The Obesity Society.

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Those who follow along with headlines in the news may be led to believe that rates of childhood obesity are declining; however new research published in Obesity, the scientific journal of The Obesity Society, suggests there is no evidence of a decrease in the prevalence of childhood obesity in the U.S. and, what’s more, rates of children with severe obesity are on the rise especially among minority children compared to their white counterparts.

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Increased portion sizes in Americans’ diets is widely recognized as a contributor to the obesity epidemic, and now new research published in Obesity, the scientific journal of The Obesity Society, examines the effect of prepackaged, portion-controlled meals on weight loss. The researchers found that when combined with behavioral counseling as part of a complete weight-loss intervention, a meal plan incorporating portion-controlled, prepackaged, frozen lunch and dinner entrées can promote greater weight loss than a self-selected diet.

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Newly published research shows that one in five individuals from a sample of U.S. military personnel from 2001 – 2008 have obesity. Further, shortly after separating from active duty, U.S. military veterans are as likely to have obesity as civilians.

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Get a glimpse into the future of obesity research and treatment when more than 1,000 research abstracts are presented on new and emerging obesity treatments, the science of weight loss, new prevention strategies, metabolic surgery, the genetics of obesity and public policy at the largest international conference on obesity. Thousands of leading researchers, policymakers and healthcare professionals will gather for the fourth annual ObesityWeek conference at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in Louisiana from Oct. 31 – Nov. 4, 2016.

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Obesity is a well-established major risk factor for developing diabetes, with almost 90% of people living with type 2 diabetes having obesity or overweight. Even with the close tie between obesity and type 2 diabetes, new research shows that healthcare clinicians prescribe 15 times more antidiabetes medications than those for obesity. Although six antiobesity medications are now approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treating obesity when combined with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity, this research points out that only 2% of the eligible 46% of the U.S. adult population is receiving these medications. The research is published in the September issue of Obesity, the scientific journal of The Obesity Society.

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A new approach to weight loss called Acceptance-Based Behavioral Treatment (ABT) helped people lose more weight and keep it off longer than those who received only Standard Behavioral Treatment (SBT) according to a new randomized controlled clinical trial published in Obesity.

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The first human test of early time-restricted feeding found that this meal-timing strategy strategy reduced swings in hunger and altered fat and carb burning patterns, which may help with losing weight. In early time-restricted feeding (eTRF), people eat their last meal by the mid-afternoon and don’t eat again until breakfast the next morning.

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Novel biomedical research uncovers tie between genetic variant and energy expenditure – a potential biological pathway to increase calorie burn and weight loss

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Improving health insurance coverage for weight loss services could help people struggling with obesity lose weight, according to a new survey of non-physician health professionals (HPs). A second study found that three out of four patients are affected by obesity or overweight, yet less than half (48%) of these patients with a BMI higher than 30 received a formal diagnosis of obesity.

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A newly released basic science study of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) suggests that a functioning circadian clock, or sleeping at night and being awake during the day, can help patients achieve a higher amount of weight loss following the surgery. The study conducted in a mouse model is one of the first to shed light on how researchers and clinicians might continue to improve the outcomes following RYGB by correcting disruptions to the circadian clock.