SHAPE UP AMERICA!
Contact:
Cindy Karra
2202-974-5009
Public Health Groups Join Forces to Counter
Confusion
About Health Impact of Obesity
Roll
Out New Advertising on Health Benefits of Weight Control
Washington, DC; June 8, 2005 -- Concerned that the public may
be discounting the serious nature of
obesity, Shape Up
America! has joined forces with 16 national public health, nutrition and consumers
organizations to
communicate this
simple message: healthy
weight and good health go hand-in-hand.
Responding to the controversy
caused when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lowered its
estimate of the number of deaths attributable to obesity, Shape Up America! -- the anti-obesity crusade
launched by former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop -- is rolling out a national advertising campaign to focus attention on the significant health
benefits of weight control. The first newspaper ad, which
appears in today’s Washington Times, focuses specifically on the link between weight and
health and concludes, “If you are overweight,
shedding excess pounds is one of the healthiest things you can do.”
Along with Shape Up America!, 16 prominent national public
health, nutrition and consumers organizations have signed onto the ad and
support its message: American
Association of Diabetes Educators; American Cancer Society; American Council on Science
and Health; American Diabetes Association; American Dietetic Association; American Institute for Cancer
Research; American Public Health
Association; American
Obesity Association;
American Society
for Clinical Nutrition; American Society for Nutritional Sciences; National Consumers League; National Women's Health
Resource Center; NAASO, The Obesity Society; Pennington Biomedical Research
Center; University
of California Department of Nutrition; and the Yale Prevention Research Center.
“It is not every day that 16 national organizations lend their names to an
advertising message,” said Dr. Koop. “What this show of force makes clear is that controlling one’s weight is one of the best
ways to stay healthy.”
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Underscoring
the Science
Although the new ad uses both simple and
direct language, its message is supported by conclusive scientific evidence showing that obesity increases the risk for many life-threatening diseases and
disabling conditions.
To date, obesity has been linked with more than 30 medical conditions and
especially type 2 diabetes and heart disease where about two-thirds of all
cases are associated with overweight. The majority of the direct costs of obesity,
estimated to exceed $50 billion annually, are associated with diabetes and
heart disease. Other
co-morbid
conditions associated with obesity -- which will worsen significantly as the degree of obesity increases and
conversely, will improve with weight loss -- include hypertension, some forms of cancer,
gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis and gout.
“With 64 percent of all adults either
overweight or obese, it is essential that we promote a new understanding that
weight and health are strongly linked, “ said Barbara J. Moore, Ph.D.,
President of Shape Up America! “Not only does health deteriorate with excess
weight but it improves quickly and significantly with weight loss.”
The ad also drives home the
health benefits afforded by even a modest weight loss for people who are overweight
or obese. According
to the scientific data, losing a modest amount of weight, defined as a weight loss of
5 percent to 10 percent of initial body weight, improves the body’s response to insulin, aids blood
sugar control, controls or prevents high blood pressure, and improves
triglyceride, HDL and LDL cholesterol levels.
Besides focusing on
the health benefits, a key message of the ad is that sustained weight loss is
achievable if people set realistic goals and adopt a comprehensive weight program that includes
healthy eating, being physically active, and being surrounded by a supportive
atmosphere that
encourages problem solving and the adoption of constructive behaviors and
attitudes. According to data collected by the National
Weight Control Registry (NWCR) -- a longitudinal prospective
study of individuals aged 18 years and over who have successfully maintained a
30 pound weight loss for at least a year -- the vast majority of the 4,000 people studied have lost an average of 66 pounds
and maintained a weight loss of at least 30
pounds for an
average of 5 years. NWCR is a collaborative venture among
three U.S. universities – Brown University, the University of Pittsburgh and the University
of Colorado.
Reinforcing its ad campaign, Shape Up America! will use multiple information
channels to convey solutions-oriented information, including new information on
the organization’s Web site – www.shapeup.org. The group is also planning to place additional ads around this topic.
International
Conference Finds Obesity Origins in Infancy
Provides
Latest Data on Eating Habits of Infants and Toddlers
Washington, DC; December 19, 2003 XX, 2003 --
Charting epidemic levels of obesity in the United States and many parts of the
world, leading scientists and public health experts meeting in Washington have
reached a consensus that adult obesity actually has some roots in fetal
development and what happens at the earliest stages of childhood.
Attending an international conference on preventing
childhood obesity, over 200 researchers (Is this true?) from the
U.S., Canada and Europe reviewed the latest data on the risk factors for
childhood obesity, agreeing that a number of factors during pregnancy and
infancy predispose children to obesity, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes and
cardiovascular disease later in life: elevated maternal prepregnancy body
weight , smoking before and during
pregnancy, maternal gestational diabetes, and either infant low birth weight or
high birth weight. WSupported with underwritingfunding from the Gerber
Products Company, the conference was sponsored by Shape Up America!, the
educational initiative spearheaded by former U.S. Surgeon General C. Everett
Koop in 1994 to raise awareness of obesity as a health issue.
Tommy G. Thompson, Secretary,
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services addressed conference attendees on this critical public health issue. “I can’t think about anything more important than
preventing childhood obesity… we need to turn the tide…with clear, consistent, messages,” he said.
Focusing specifically on the youngest children --
infants and toddlers -- researchers attending the conference recognized the
value of catch up growth in low birth weight infants (weighing less than 5.5
pounds) but saw evidence that excessively rapid weight gain in those babies
predisposes them to later obesity. Citing recent studies linking rapid growth
in these infants with an increased risk for obesity and chronic diseases in
adulthood, scientists speaking at the Shape Up America! conferenceConference recommended
very careful monitoring of these high risk babies to achieve an appropriate
rate of weight gain during infancy.
Because of the many challenges in feeding these infants properly,
parents should seek the guidance of a qualified health care professional.
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“Being born
at a low birth weight and then gaining weight too rapidly during infancy may be
the worst of all possible worlds,” explained Matthew W. Gillman, M.D., Associate
Professor of Nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health Associate Professor of Ambulatory Care and
Prevention, Harvard Medical School and a
leading authority on early life prevention of disease. “Getting out this
message will be important for preventing obesity, diabetes and other disabling
conditions later in life.”
Conference
Addresses What Infants and Toddlers Are Eating
To address some of the causes of childhood obesity,
the symposiumconference “Preventing Childhood
Obesity: A National Conference Focusing on Pregnancy to Preschool, showcased new data from the
Feeding Infants and Toddlers Study (FITS), a survey commissioned by Gerber which that examines the eating habits and nutrient intakes of
more than 3,000 U.S. children ages
4 months to 24 months old. While showing that
American babies are meeting their vitamin and mineral requirements, FITS found
that many infants and toddlers show signs of the unhealthful diet adopted by
much of the adult population. Some major findings include:
·Soda is being served to
infants as young as 7 months old
·In any given day, one third of
toddlers 19-24 months are not consuming a vegetable and nearly 20 percent are
not consuming any single fruit.
·French fries are the most
commonly consumed vegetable for toddlers aged 15-24 months
·By 19-24 months, most toddlers
consumed sweets, desserts or salty snacks at least once a day
According to Barbara Devaney, Ph.D., a Senior
Fellow at Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. and one of the FITS investigators,
“Infants and toddlers are consuming too many calories, particularly from
low-nutrient, high-calorie foods. Parents and caregivers should therefore focus
on the quality and the variety of the foods they give to babies, encouraging
nutrient-rich food choices. Parents should also pay attention to the babies’
eating cues, as babies know when they need to eat and when they are full.”
The conference also examined the role of taste and
smell in guiding early food preferences. Reporting on the latest scientific
findings, Julie A. Mennella, Ph.D. of the Monell Chemical Senses Center in
Philadelphia, stated that within hours of birth, infants exhibit a strong
innate preference for a sweet taste. Dr. Mennella reported that because the
constantly changing flavor profile of human milk reflects the mother’s diet,
breast fed babies tend to be more accepting of a variety of foods compared to
formula-fed infants.
“Amniotic fluid and mother’s milk reflect the
culture into which the child is born,” said Dr. Mennella. “The type of foods
eaten by the mother, and hence the flavor principles of the culture, are
experienced by the baby long before tasting of solid foods for the first time.”
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Strategies
for Preventing Childhood Obesity
To identify factors that are
predisposing young children to unhealthy weight and chronic disease later in
life, researchers attending the conference focused on parenting practices that
can be leveraged to prevent childhood obesity. Some of the messages for parents
and caregivers are:
·Breastfeed your baby for as
long as possible. Research finds that in addition to promoting a vital bonding
between mother and child and imparting important immunity to the infant,
breastfeeding helps to introduce babies to a wide variety of flavors, which
prepares the baby to accept and enjoy fruits and vegetables;
·A division of responsibility
is recommended: Parents are responsible
for presenting children with healthful food choices. Children are responsible for how much of such foods they will
eat. This division of responsibility
begins in infancy by letting the baby’s appetite determine how much to eat and
when to stop;
·Restaurant foods or fast foods
are not appropriate for infants or toddlers
·In toddlers, replace sweets,
snacks, soda or fries with healthy alternatives such as fruits, vegetables and
milk.
·With toddlers, start withuse a petite
plate with small servings and offer seconds only if the child requests;
·Make physical activity a part
of every day routine. Set aside time for unstructured play and encourage your
child to move by actively playing with your child;
·Limit TV viewing and, in
particular, turn off the television during meals.
·Whenever possible, eat meals
together as a family
·Go for a walk with your child
as often as possible
·The eating and activity of a
parent speaks louder to your child than anything you say
“We cannot sit on the sidelines as children become
fatter and sicker,” said Barbara J. Moore, Ph.D., President and CEO of Shape Up
America! “Prevention of obesity starting in childhood is critical and can have
a lifelong impact on weight and health.”
Entitled Preventing
Childhood Obesity: A National Conference Focusing on Pregnancy to Preschool, the
scientific meeting sponsored by Shape
Up America! tookTook place on
December 8. Complete findings from the conference will be issued in early 2004. More information about the activities of Shape Up America! canCan be found on the award-winning
website – www.shapeup.org – which
provides interactive information and guidance on weight management, healthy
eating, physical activity, childhood obesity, a 10,000 steps protocol, and many
other topics related to prevention and treatment.
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About Shape Up America!
Shape Up America! was founded in 1994 by former U.S. Surgeon General C. Everett
Koop to raise awareness of the health effects of obesity and to provide
responsible information on weight management to the public and to health care
professionals. A
network of leading associations in the fields of medicine, public health,
nutrition and physical activity provide support for this initiative.
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About Shape Up America!
Shape Up America! was founded
in 1994 by former US Surgeon General C. Everett Koop to raise awareness of the
health effects of obesity and to provide responsible information on weight
management to the public and to health care professionals. The award-winning
Shape Up America! website --www.shapeup.org
-- offers clear weight management information in an entertaining and engaging
manner.
About Gerber Products Company:
Gerber
Products Company is part of the Infant & Baby Business Unit within the
Consumer Health Division of Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS), a world leader in
pharmaceuticals and consumer health. In 2002, the Group's
businesses achieved sales of USD 20.9 billion and a net income of USD 4.7
billion. The Group invested approximately USD 2.8 billion in R&D.
Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland; Novartis Group companies employ about 77,200
people and operate in over 140 countries around the world. For further
information please consult http://www. Gerber.com and
http:// www.novartis.com.
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