Advocacy and Health Policy |
ACOG and Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital Working Together to Improve Maternal Outcomes in Texas
Today, more than 90 million American adults are obese. In the last 20 years alone, obesity rates among adults have doubled. ACOG is committed to changing the way that we care about obesity—and has joined other organizations as a champion of the 3rd Annual National Obesity Care Week (NOCW), October 29 through November 4.
NOCW was founded by the Obesity Society, the Obesity Action Coalition, Strategies to Overcome and Prevent Obesity Alliance and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. The goal of this week is to promote the vision of creating a society that understands, respects and accepts the complexities of obesity and the value of science-based care.
5 Reasons to Care
As a champion, we recognize the 5 Reasons to Care:
- Obesity is a serious disease
- Weight bias is faced by many
- Health care providers need to have positive, helpful conversations about weight with their patients
- Science-based weight management options are available for treatment
- We need your help passing the 2017 Treat and Reduce Obesity Act (TROA)
Although we must educate people about these five reasons to care, we must also address barriers to care, such as weight bias in both society and among the medical community. As members, you have access to trusted guidance designed to better treat patients with obesity. We encourage you to review the following resources and take action.
Obesity Resources for You
Clinical Guidance and Information:
- ACOG Obesity Tool Kit
- CO #591 Challenges for Overweight and Obese Women from the Committee on Health Care for Underserved Women
- CO #600 Ethical Issues in the Care of the Obese Woman from the Committee on Ethics
- CO #714 Obesity in Adolescents
- CO# 619 Gynecological Surgery in Obese Women
- Clinical Updates for Women’s Health Care, Vol XII, Issue 1, Obesity
- PB 156 Obesity in Pregnancy
For Pregnant Patients:
We need more voices—your voice—to reach our goal of achieving better care. Join us and change the way that you care about obesity by taking the Take 5 Pledge. Learn more about National Obesity Care Week and access information and resources at www.ObesityCareWeek.org.