Organizational body | Action | Outcome measures | Supporting Israeli ACTION-IO data |
---|---|---|---|
Government | • Acknowledge obesity as a disease | • Gain recognition as a significant public health hazard • Diagnosis may increase referral rates to specialists and/or follow-up appointments | • 70% of PwO and 95% of HCPs agreed that obesity is a chronic disease • 81% of PwO thought that weight loss was their sole responsibility; 44% reported this as a reason for not discussing weight with an HCP • Only 44% of PwO were diagnosed with obesity; 17% had a follow-up appointment |
Health medical organization | • Build a network of multidisciplinary obesity treatment clinics that include obesity medicine physicians, dietitians, psychosocial services, and physical exercise counseling | • Create a multidisciplinary support system for people with obesity | • Most PwO (87%) and HCPs (83%) do not believe the healthcare system and society in general currently meet the needs of PwO • Only 23% of PwO felt that the healthcare system was a good resource for weight loss • Most PwO (80%) and HCPs (90%) felt that treatment of obesity should be a team effort between different medical professionals |
• Prioritize people with obesity for vaccination against viral infections | • Reduce the risk of complications for a high-risk group | • Approximately 3/4 of PwO have ≥1 comorbidity | |
• Create a campaign for the public to promote awareness that obesity is a biological disease, not a lifestyle choice | • Educate the public on the etiology of obesity and the obesogenic environment | • Only 49% of PwO or HCPs considered the genetic factors underlying obesity to be a barrier to weight loss | |
Medical schools | • Incorporate obesity medicine teaching hours into the pre-clinical (biological and genetic basis) and the clinical (approach to treatment) years | • Reduce time gap between people struggling with excess weight and seeking medical help • Provide tailored obesity care • Increase obesity diagnosis, follow-up appointments, and referrals • Improve weight loss outcomes for PwO | • There was a mean delay of 9 years between the time PwO began struggling with excess weight or obesity and the first weight management discussion with their HCP • Among PwO (68%) who had discussed their weight with an HCP in the past 5 years, 59% considered the discussions to be a little helpful or not at all helpful • 51% of PwO had negative feelings following their most recent weight management discussion with their HCP • Misperception among HCPs that patients have little interest in or motivation for losing weight (71 and 70%, respectively) were the main reasons for HCPs not initiating weight management discussions |
Israel Association for the Study of Obesity | • Build a fellowship program for obesity medicine, approved by the Israeli Medical Association • Establish “obesity medicine schools” for physicians and dietitians • Draft obesity management guidelines and a position paper • Work with stakeholders to promote the recognition of obesity as a disease • Work with representatives of PwO on anti-stigma campaigns |