The 6th Annual Obesity Care Week (OCW) Takes Aim At Important Issues Impacting People With Obesity And Celebrates World Obesity Day

TAMPA, Fla., Feb. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Sunday, March 1^st, marks the beginning of Obesity Care Week 2020, an awareness campaign week aimed at changing the way we care about obesity by creating a society that understands, respects and accepts the complexities of obesity and values science-based care.

With more than 93 million Americans affected by obesity and more than 650 million worldwide, Obesity Care Week sets the stage for generating awareness across the globe about topics such as access to care, weight bias, childhood obesity, and obesity treatment. "OCW2020 provides us with an opportunity to put obesity on the globe's center stage and highlight the issues impacting people with this disease. Here in the U.S., one of the most pivotal things we are addressing is the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act, if passed, this would provide Medicare beneficiaries with access to obesity treatment and management services," said Joe Nadglowski, Obesity Action Coalition (OAC) President and CEO.

Currently, S. 595/HR 1530, the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act (TROA) has more than 180 supporters in Congress. The critical legislation will provide the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) with authority to enhance the current Medicare benefit for intensive behavioral counseling by allowing additional types of qualified healthcare providers to offer these services. The Act also allows the agency to expand Medicare Part D coverage to include FDA-approved prescription drugs for chronic weight management.

New for OCW2020, the campaign will recognize March 4^th as World Obesity Day. On this day, OCW2020 will support obesity organizations across the globe and shift its focus to the World Health Organization (WHO) and support a declaration to the WHO asking the organization to make the disease of obesity a priority for all countries.

"Respectful and complete care should be the norm, not the exception, for people who are managing weight and health," said Blandine Lacroix, Corporate Vice President, Obesity Business Unit, Novo Nordisk Inc. "That's why during Obesity Care Week, and every day, we join advocates to reduce weight bias, empower people with obesity and expand access to medicines and long-term support and care."

OCW2020 would not have been possible without the support of our official OCW Partners. OCW would like to recognize all of the valuable Partners of the 2020 OCW: Diamond – Novo Nordisk; Patron – Eisai, Intercept, Medtronic; and Supporter – Bariatric Advantage, Boehringer Ingelheim, Currax Pharmaceuticals, Endo Pharmaceuticals, and Hitachi.

OCW2020 is very fortunate to be represented in more than 55 countries worldwide and have the support of more than 70 Champion organizations: Founding Champions – The Obesity Action Coalition (OAC), The Obesity Society (TOS), The American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS), The Obesity Medicine Association (OMA) and the Strategies to Overcome and Prevent (STOP) Obesity Alliance. Additional Champions include – A Step Towards Community Health, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Amanda Velazquez, MD; American Academy of Sleep Medicine, American Alliance for Healthy Sleep, American Association of Nurse Practitioners, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, American College of Preventive Medicine, American College of Surgeons, American Medical Group Association, American Medical Women's Association, American Society for Nutrition, American Society for Parental and Enteral Nutrition, American College of Surgeons, Association for Bariatric Endoscopy (ABE), BMI of Texas, Business Group on Health, Cardiometabolic Health Congress, Centenario Hospital Miguel Hidalgo, College of Contemporary Health, ConscienHealth, Dallas Obesity Society, Endocrine Society, European Association for the Study of Obesity, European Childhood Obesity Group (ECOG), European Coalition of People Living with Obesity(ECPO), Fairfield County Bariatrics & Surgical Specialists, Fatty Liver Foundation, Foundation Surgical Hospital of San Antonio, Global Liver Institute, GOM Inc., Global Obesity Patient Alliance (GOPA), Grand Health Partners, Healthcare Leadership Council, Healthy Lombard, International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders, Jersey Medical Weight Loss Center, Kiran Hospital India, LINDSTROM OBESITY ADVOCACY, Liver Health Initiative, Metta Weight Management, NASH Alliance, National Business Group on Health, National Center for Weight and Wellness, New York Institute of Technology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, Obesity Canada, Obesity Care Advocacy Network (OCAN), OCEANS Lifestyles, Osteoarthritis Action Alliance, Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease, Plus Size Certified, Inc., Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity, Salud America! at UT Health San Antonio, Society of Behavioral Medicine, South Carolina Academy of Physician Assistants, The Better Weigh Center, The Endocrine Society, The Ohio State University College of Nursing, TOPS Club, UConn Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity, Valley Diabetes and Obesity, World Obesity Federation.

"We are extremely grateful for the support of all our Partners and Champions. It will take a worldwide effort to effectively address the disease of obesity. Without our supporters, OCW would not be possible," said Nadglowski.

If you are interested in learning more about OCW2020 and want to sign-up for OCW2020 Alerts, please visit www.ObesityCareWeek.org and help change the way we care today!

The Mission of OCW is to advance a science-based understanding of obesity and widespread access to respectful, comprehensive and appropriate care.

SOURCE Obesity Action Coalition

Related Links

http://www.ObesityCareWeek.org