According to obesity research conducted by James O. Hill and Holly R. Wyatt of the Center for Human Nutrition at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver, George W. Reed of the Division of Preventive and Behavioral Medicine in the Department of Medicine at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester, and John C. Peters of Procter & Gamble Company in Cincinnati, the obesity epidemic and the gradual weight gain prevalent in our society show no signs of abating.

In 2003, the group of obesity researchers published findings in the journal Science. Their research, “Obesity and the Environment: Where Do We Go From Here?,” demonstrated the urgent need to highlight the environmental forces that may be associated with gradual weight gain and obesity in the population. According to the researchers, if the gradual weight gain were to continue at the currently observed rate (1.8 to 2.0 lbs. per year), the projected obesity rate in 2008 - five years after their investigation - might climb to 38 percent of the American population.

Using data from national surveys, the researchers estimated that affecting energy balance by a mere 100 kilocalories per day could prevent weight gain and resulting obesity in the majority of the population. The researchers demonstrated that 100 kilocalories translated to about 2000 extra steps, or about a 15-minute walk. In this way, they were able to show that gradual weight gain can be prevented by each individual making small changes in his or her behavior, such taking a short walk each day or eating a few less bites at each meal.

Once the endocrine researchers were able to calculate the amount of change in energy expenditure needed to prevent weight gain, it enabled clinicians to implement the research in practice. Clinical researchers then worked with patients to create a balance between the amount of energy burned and the amount of food consumed throughout a normal day in order to prevent weight gain. The result was a groundbreaking program, America On the Move, a national initiative dedicated to helping individuals and communities across our nation make positive changes to combat weight gain and obesity while improving their health and quality of life.

The America On the Move effort is a prime example of research-based weight loss strategies that use basic science to drive behavioral change. The weight loss program, which began in Colorado, has been replicated in a number of pilot sites and researchers continue to document its promise. Please see the “Resource” section for additional information about America On the Move.

*Source: Hill JO, Wyatt HR, Reed GW, Peters JC. Obesity and the environment: where do we go from here? Science 2003 Feb 7; 299(5608): 853-5.

Despite a national obesity epidemic, the CDC recently announced that many doctors are not advising their obese patients in weight loss. Some doctors have said they are not confident in counseling their patients in weight loss because they do not have enough formal training about obesity.

C.O.R.E., formed in 1998 as a programming component of the North American Association for the Study of Obesity, provides obesity and weight loss guidance and training for healthcare providers on how to manage patients with overweight and obesity issues. C.O.R.E. is comprised of eight of the leading centers for management of overweight and obesity in the country. Working together, these participating centers combine their individual resources and expertise, resulting in the creation of high-quality, hands-on, interactive obesity and weight loss education workshops for practitioners in the medical community. Conducted monthly, C.O.R.E. obesity and weight loss education workshops target physicians, nurses, and other health care providers interested in enhancing overweight and obesity treatment in their practice, and are based on the latest clinical and behavioral research. The focus is translating research into clinical standards for treating obesity.

For additional information on C.O.R.E., please visit www.uchsc.edu/core.