2020-10-29 OMA Agenda - Board of Trustees

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The 1 st inaugural Forum on Obesity Care included experts in primary care and obesity medicine for a discussion on the national obesity healthcare crisis with a focus on optimizing care for patients with obesity. A comprehensive roundtable discussion resulted in a consensus agreement upon several issues pertaining to obesity treatment pertinent to implementation in primary care. These included the recognition and understanding of the following: 1) Obesity is an adiposity-based chronic disease with complex underlying pathophysiology resulting in a variety of serious complications. 2) The continuum of obesity care includes multiple treatment options, most of which are currently underused. 3) Early initiation of appropriate treatment is critical in addressing this crisis and the progressive nature of obesity. 4) Although diagnosis codes for obesity have been established, they remain underused. 5) Obesity is widely stigmatized; this occurs commonly in the media, among the public, legislators, and even healthcare providers. 6) Recognition of personal and institutional bias, both implicit and explicit, towards individuals with obesity must be addressed. Efforts to use people-first language and avoid stigmatizing images in the media are essential. 7) Collaboration among professional societies is critical to provide comprehensive education for healthcare practitioners on obesity care. 8) Cross-collaborative toolkits are valuable tools, particularly for healthcare practitioners in primary care. 9) Continued advocacy for improved insurance coverage and legislation for obesity treatment is vital to improve access to care for patients with obesity. Public education regarding the effects of obesity and the need for its treatment was also identified.

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