This great line (adapted from the movie, Field of Dreams) reminds me of the trajectory of the field of obesity medicine as well as my career in it.
When I started my career in the 1980’s, colleagues questioned my decision to develop a weight management program at a major academic medical center.
Who knew that the importance of obesity and its treatments would continue to grow and now explode with the arrival of the highly effective obesity medications.
With the prevalence of adult obesity over 40%, healthcare professionals (as well as the individuals they treat), all have a role to play to become better educated about obesity care and to advocate for better access and care:
1-Get Educated
With nearly 3 out of every 4 patients seen in a clinician’s office presenting with overweight or obesity, healthcare professionals from varied specialties can become better educated about the science and practice of obesity care.
Nurse practitioners or physician assistants may become the go-to clinicians for obesity care within their specialty group practices.
Most clinicians receive little or no training in obesity, diet, nutrition and lifestyle modification counseling. Attending continuing educational sessions on obesity and its new treatments can be extremely helpful.
If you want a framework and resources for delivering efficient patient-centered obesity care within your existing practice, you can check out my new book, Patient-Centered Weight Management.
2-Specialize
Some physicians may want to become certified as an obesity medicine physician specialist through the American Board of Obesity Medicine (ABOM).
As a founder and first chair of the ABOM, I am so pleased to see that it has grown to over 10,000 diplomats sinve 2012.
Over half of the diplomats are Family Medicine or Internal Medicine physicians that practice in primary care.
This is the fastest growing professional certifying board for physicians.
As the saying goes, “If you build it, they will come.”
3- Advocate
Clinicians and the patients they treat can all advocate for improved obesity care.
This often involves educating media journalists about using people first language in their articles, such as people with obesity instead of obese people.
Healthcare professionals may need to identify staff members in their practices to advocate on behalf of patients to insurance companies for medication coverage, obesity surgery approval, and access to a registered dietitian nutritionist or health psychologist.
Joining the Obesity Action Coalition (OAC) can update everyone on the OAC’s impressive advocacy efforts to stop weight bias and lobby for improved health care coverage for obesity care treatments.
The OAC is a national, nonprofit organization dedicated to giving a voice to the millions of Americans affected by the disease of obesity and empowering them on their journey toward better health.
Check out the many valuable OAC resources available to both patients and clinicians.
We are all stronger together.
RK
Robert Kushner, MD
