The Obesity Society Newsletter

The Obesity Society is committed to the education and training of new investigators. In 2007 The Society is strengthening this commitment by renewing the New Investigator Grants Program, which will fund studies proposed by investigators who have not yet developed a history of grant funding. Grants will be provided to four new investigators, defined as individuals who have received a doctorate in the past five years and who currently hold full-time, entry-level positions (e.g., post-doctoral fellow, instructor, or assistant professor) at established academic research institutions. Applicants may request up to $25,000.

An initial one-page letter of intent should be submitted electronically for review by an inter-disciplinary committee. The deadline for submission of the letter of intent is June 18, 2007.

New Surgeon General Nominated

President Bush announced the nomination of James W. Holsinger, Jr., MD to serve as the 18th Surgeon General of the U.S. Dr. Holsinger led the State of Kentucky's healthcare system and the University of Kentucky's Medical Center.

Of particular interest to Obesity Society members is Dr. Holsinger's focus on educating parents and children about childhood obesity. The President called obesity "A serious epidemic that decreases quality of life and burdens our healthcare system."

Society Leaders Meet with New NIDDK Director

On June 1, Eric Ravussin, President, Gary Foster, President-Elect, and Morgan Downey, Executive Vice President, met with Griffin Rodgers, the newly appointed Director of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) and members of his staff. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss ways in which The Obesity Society and the NIDDK (which funds approximately half of obesity research at NIH) can work more closely to promote obesity research.

Topics discussed included emerging areas of interest at NIDDK including neuroimaging and the intrauterine environment, recent and proposed program announcements, the development of new researchers, the role of bariatric surgery in treating diabetes, recent and future workshops, and the attention to funding obesity research through the NIH Roadmap activities.

Researchers are urged to frequently consult the NIH and NIDDK obesity research sites for updated information on obesity related activities and funding.

Community Health Centers Project

The Obesity Society has been informed that we will be receiving a significant contribution to develop obesity education programs at Community Health Centers (CHCs). CHCs are established in medicallyunderserved areas and provide primary care to persons of lower economic status. The Society is interested in identifying members who have conducted research which may be relevant to this population as well as members who have worked with their local or regional CHCs. The purpose is to have a network to advise on the best direction for this project. Members can indicate their interest and experience to nolins@naaso.org.

Medicare Issues Regulations on Obesity

On May 5, 2007, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued proposed rules on the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit (Part D). It was unclear whether Medicare would allow coverage of such agents when used to treat an obesity- related comorbid condition (a "medically accepted indication") or for coverage of "morbid obesity." Previous statements from CMS were inconsistent.

When Congress passed the Prescription Drug Benefit, it included an exclusion for "agents when used for anorexia, weight loss, or weight gain." However, the door for coverage was left ajar.

In this proposed rule, CMS states that a weight loss agent, even when not used for cosmetic purposes is still "an agent used for anorexia, weight loss, or weight gain" for purposes of the exclusion. Also, CMS said it would not allow coverage of such drugs to treat morbid obesity for the same reason.

If the final regulations continue this position, it will almost certainly require an act of Congress to allow inclusion of such drugs in Part D in the future. CMS notes that the plans administering Part D can include these drugs as a supplemental benefit.

The proposed regulations appear in the Federal Register, Vol. 72, May 25, 2007, page 29403. Comments will be received until July 24, 2007.

Baby Boomer Study Findings

The American Hospital Association recently published the study "When I'm 64: How Boomers Will Change Health Care." Among the key findings:

The over 65 population will nearly triple as a result of the aging boomers
More than six out of every 10 boomers will be managing more than one chronic condition
More than one out of every three boomers-over 21 million-will be considered obese.
Nearly one out of every two boomers- more than 26 million-will be living with arthritis
Eight times more knee replacements will be performed than today

The report states "meeting these future health challenges will require more resources, new approaches to care delivery, and a greater focus on wellness and prevention." For a copy of the report, refer to the AHA Website.

Tanita Healthy Weight Community Trust

Tanita Healthy Weight Community Trust is soliciting applications for grants to support scientific research activities and programs dedicated to the understanding and reduction of obesity worldwide.

The mission of the Tanita Healthy Weight Community Trust has been to support scientific study aimed at combating obesity and other weight and body composition-related problems in Japan. Tanita will now be awarding grants to multiple recipients in the areas of Research and Activities. Research grants will be awarded to people or organizations conducting studies on the epidemiology of fatness, with the goal of combating obesity worldwide. Activities grants will be awarded to people or organizations conducting activities to educate about obesity and other body composition-related problems, and to promote their elimination. For information on the grants and to apply for funding see the Tanita Website.

Roundtable Discussion Addressing the Consequences of Obesity in Federal Programs

The nonprofit U.S. Medicine Institute convened a roundtable session attended by representatives from federal agencies, congressional offices, professional associations, academia, and industry to examine the role of federal programs and policies in addressing the burgeoning burden of overweight and severely overweight Americans. One of the meeting attendees participating was Obesity Society EVP Morgan Downey. Policy changes proposed during the roundtable session included:

Recognizing obesity as a disease that is eligible for reimbursement. For Medicare, this would require a change in law. Some official entity, such as NIH, would have to lead in making this designation.
Funding long-term research to tease out the biomarkers for obesity. Currently BMI is used to screen for obesity but is not a diagnostic criterion by itself. Pathophysiologic markers could help identify when disease begins and when treatment is successful in halting progression.
Elevating obesity's visibility in discussions of health policy. Greater advocacy may require creation of new groups and partnerships.

Federal programs are taking steps to deal with the burden of overweight and obese constituents. Every Veterans Administration (VA) medical center has a weight management program through VA's MOVE program, which offers supported self- management and followup. VA and the Defense Department developed joint clinical practice guidelines for overweight and obesity. DOD currently estimates it pays $1 billion in added healthcare costs and forced separations from service because of overweight and obesity. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality supports research on improved obesity care and treatment for children and tracks the impact of obesity on the US healthcare system.

National Summit on Obesity Policy

The Obesity Society participated in the National Summit on Obesity Policy held in Washington, D.C. on May 8th and 9th. The Summit brought together an eclectic group of organizations to develop policy recommendations in physical activity, nutrition, and health care. Obesity Society EVP Morgan Downey offered a presentation on obesity health care policy development and options. The healthcare recommendations call for recognition of obesity as a disease and expansion of federal research.
Delegates at the National Summit on Obesity Policy identified the following critical and common priorities for federal policy action:

Change in the health care sector

Recognize obesity as a complex disease, with strong adverse health effects, establish diagnosis codes, and require coverage for prevention, screening, diagnosis and multi-treatment programs that are coupled to measurement of health outcomes.
Substantially increase federal support for basic, clinical, epidemiological and health services research focused on obesity across all agencies of the federal government to bring it in line with investments aimed at solving other major medical problems.
Establish reimbursement codes for diagnosis and effective treatments.
Establish coverage by federal health insurance programs and incentivize private insurers to pay for a broad spectrum of obesity prevention, screening, diagnosis and treatment services.

Promote better nutrition

Ensure that all foods in schools meet the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
Reduce the marketing of unhealthy foods and increase the marketing of healthy, culturally relevant foods.
Eliminate the sale of unhealthy foods through a la carte, school stores, vending, and other venues outside of the federally funded school meal programs.
Improve the nutritional quality of school meals.
Increase access to nutritious foods, such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

Promote active lifestyles

Increase physical activity in schools.

Create a built environment that supports physically active lifestyles

Include key new initiatives in the reauthorization of the Transportation Act.
Provide incentives and assistance to states and localities to incorporate physical activity into coordinated community plan.

Reauthorizing State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP)

Senators Edward Kennedy (D-MA) and Orrin Hatch (R- UT) recently announced recommendations for legislation to reauthorize SCHIP, which will expire on Sept. 30, that include a provision to increase the federal tobacco tax to help finance the program. The senators recommend increased funds for outreach programs to enroll six million of the nine million children who qualify for, but are not enrolled in, SCHIP or Medicaid.

The Senators recommend "incentive grants" to help reduce childhood obesity, the use of SCHIP funds to help cover the cost of health insurance premiums for children in lower-income families with access to employer-sponsored coverage, and increased flexibility for states to determine income eligibility levels for their programs. The Senators also recommend an examination of the current five-year exclusion of documented immigrant children from SCHIP and a provision to allow states to cover those children under their programs.

Have You Registered for the 2007 Annual Scientific Meeting?

Don't forget to register for the 2007 meeting.
To see the Annual Meeting Advance Program click here. This year's meeting promises up-to-the minute research results on topics such as pediatric obesity, obesity in the elderly, the latest pharmacological agents, bariatric surgery, maintenance of weight loss, and much more.

Travel Grants
As its commitment to young investigators in the field of obesity research, The Obesity Society will award 20 travel grants of $500 each to attend the annual meeting of the society in New Orleans, October 20-24, 2007. Potential winners will be selected from the ranking of the submitted abstracts and will need only to return a form signed by their institution acknowledging that the winner is either a graduate student or has received a PhD or MD less than 5 years ago. Letters to the potential winners will be sent out later this summer. Stay tuned for more help from The Obesity Society. Visit the 2007 Annual Scientific Website.

Approximately 800 abstracts will be presented at the meeting.
Thank you to all who plan to share their work.

2007 Annual Scientific Meeting of The Obesity Society
October 20-24, 2007
New Orleans, Louisiana
Visit the 2007 Annual Scientific Meeting Web Site

Obesity Society Section Activities

Periodically, we will profile one section of The Society so that Members can learn what a particular section is doing. This month the Clinical Section is highlighted. The section, Clinicians for the Treatment of Obesity, was formed two years ago as one of the Obesity Society's initial section groups. It was created to help educate and facilitate the exchange of clinical experiences among all clinicians (M.D., PhD, R.N., N.P., R.D., etc.) who actively work with overweight and/or obese patients.

The Clinical Section aspires to provide a network where members can review their treatment experiences through case presentation discussions, and learn from other colleagues about their insights and treatment successes and failures. This group also wants to encourage more treating clinicians to join the Obesity Society, and become more active in their communities in providing sound advice for obesity prevention and clinically verified, safe treatments. It also seeks to provide a forum where members can learn from the research and clinical experiences of their peers about how to provide the best professional care in actual "real world, real time" situations.

The Clinical Section also hopes to offer an opportunity for the "voice of the obese patient" to be heard and acknowledged, through the experiences of their treating clinicians. The principal officers of the Clinical section are: Peter D. Vash, MD, Chair, Don Schumacher, MD Vice-Chair, and Arthur Frank, MD Secretary.

Looking For Us?

From now on when you click on
www.obesity.org, the first cite mentioned is The Obesity Society.

FASEB Summer Research Conference on Obesity

Registration is now open for the 2007 FASEB Summer Research Conference on "Obesity, Energy Balance, and Disease." The meeting will be held August 4-9 at the Hyatt Grand Champions Resort and Spa, Indian Wells, CA. Visit The FASEB Summer Research website and register for the meeting before the July 2nd early deadline and save $100 on registration. Four $500 travel awards will be given to young investigators presenting a poster at the meting. Register at src.faseb.org. For further information, contact Tim Nagy, PhD at tnagy@uab.edu.

Member Notes

Western Region
Judith Stern

California
Erwin Bautista, Professor of various Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior courses at UC Davis, won the 2007 Award for Excellence in Teaching. David Heber (UCLA) received the Kenichi Kosuna Distinguished Lecturer Award at UC Davis for his outstanding contributions in nutrition and health. Barbara Horwitz (UC Davis) was appointed acting provost. Alexandra Kazaks (UC Davis) attended a practicum at NIH on dietary supplement research. The purpose was to discuss scientific concepts and controversies and how to carry out research in this area (http://ods.od.nih.gov). There continues to be a great deal of interest in the use of dietary supplements for weight management.

Nevada
Sachiko St. Jeor, head of the Center for Nutrition and Metabolic Disorders (CNMD), has developed a model for weight management. CNMD runs a clinic for weight management based on research. According to St. Jeor, "The Center is built on our expertise and the opportunity to address obesity as a national epidemic. The clinic is our lab."

Washington
Adam Drewnowski's (University of Washington) research on food costs was featured by Michael Pollan in an article "You are what you grow" in the Sunday New York Times Magazine. Dr. Drewnowski also heads The Center for Public Health Nutrition and The Exploratory Center for Obesity Research. The Centers teamed up with the Washington State Department of Public Health and held a "Smart Screen Time Summit" as part of a childhood obesity prevention initiative.

News of New Orleans

For information on registering for the Annual Scientific Meeting click here
To see the Advance Program, click here

Interested in...
Exhibiting?
Sponsorship opportunities?

The Obesity Society's
2007 Annual Scientific Meeting
October 20-24
Ernest N. Morial
Convention Center
New Orleans, LA

Visit the Meeting Home Page for details as they become available.

Laissez les bon temps rouler!
(Let the good times roll!)

Questions and comments about The Obesity Society's Web site or newsletter? Please contact Nancy Olins or Karen Teff, PhD