50% of Americans will be Obese in 10 Years: We MUST Work Together!
50% of Americans will be Obese in 10 Years: We MUST Work Together!
By Liz Moon, NP
An article released in the New England Journal of Medicine this past December predicts that in
10 years half of Americans will be obese.
https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMsa1909301?query=featured_home
Long-term success in preventing and treating obesity requires substantive changes that can be
demanding and difficult and that is why we need to face these challenges together. Joan Cook a
psychologist and associate professor at Yale University writes, “A lot of people, and some health
professionals, mistakenly assume that a lack of determination and the overconsumption of food
are the sole causes of obesity.”
Cook goes on to describe, often the solutions are too-good-to-be-true, i.e. restrictive diets,
excessive exercise, etc. When short-term weight loss goals are reached, individuals will quickly
regain weight. This cycle of little progress and quick fall back sets people up for further failure
and demoralization.
When describing her mother’s experience with being overweight and jumping to quick fixes,
Cook wishes her mother had attended an evidence-based treatment program such as the Look
AHEAD (Action for Health in Diabetes) program. “She would have learned to identify the
physical reasons for eating, and how to recognize what the sensations of hunger and satiety felt
like. She would have learned to spot her emotional states before eating and find alternative ways
to manage them.”
Dr. Robin Msaheb a professor and clinical psychologist at the Yale School of Medicine, has
spent the past 25 years researching obesity and eating disorders and has figured out what works
to effect positive change.
“First, we need to invest more money upfront on these evidence-based programs to prevent
obesity and manage it rather than driving up the cost of health-care utilization after the fact.
Second, we need to address weight stigma and bias in this country, and at the same time, help
people engage in positive change. We need to balance empathy and compassion with
encouragement and support.Finally, we need to address the systemic issues in our food landscape by increasing healthy food
choices in our schools, supermarkets, and restaurants, and discouraging unhealthy decisions,
such as sugary drinks and high-fat snack foods.”
If you would like an evidenced-based approach to weight management and health related
goals, please CALL US TODAY! We have a redesigned program that is evidence-based and
robust in support and encouragement. Call 224-407-4400 or visit our website
at www.compgihealth.com to request an appointment.