24 Jun Obesity Largely Driving Health Care and Societal Burden

Posted at 15:51h in Author Interviews, Cost of Health Care, JAMA, Weight Research by

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Dr. Yang Lin on behalf of all authors
Department of Surgery, Division of Public Health Sciences
Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University School of Medicine
St Louis, Missouri

Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?

Dr. Lin: Overweight, obesity and associated chronic conditions are largely driving the health care and societal burden, yet potentially preventable. Using the most recent nationally representative data between 2007 and 2012, we estimated the prevalence of overweight and obesity in the US by gender, age, racial and ethnicity groups to inform clinical practice and the priority for cost-effective prevention strategies.

Medical Research: What should clinicians and patients take away from your report?

Dr. Lin: Clinicians and patients ought to be aware of the negative health impact of overweight and obesity. Clinicians are encouraged to discuss the strategies to prevent or treat obesity through behavior change techniques.

Medical Research: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?

Dr. Lin: Combating obesity as a nation requires a political will to support multi-level approaches through individual, health professional, community, environment and policy engagement to address this epidemic as a whole. Population-based strategies may help to alter the obesity trend through physical environment intervention, enhancing primary care efforts and shifting society norms of behavior.

Citation:

Graham A. Colditz, MD DrPH | Niess-Gain Professor of Surgery, Professor of Medicine | Chief, Division of Public Health Sciences, Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine | Associate Director Prevention and Control, Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center | 660 South Euclid Avenue, Campus Box 8100 | Saint Louis, MO 63110

upcoming JAMA publication:

Yang L, Colditz GA. Prevalence of Overweight and Obesity in the United States, 2007-2012. JAMA Intern Med. Published online June 22, 2015. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2015.2405.

 

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:, & Dr. Yang Lin on behalf of all authors (2015). Obesity Largely Driving Health Care and Societal Burden 

Last Updated on June 24, 2015 by Marie Benz MD FAAD

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