Submitted Benice Clara
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Recently, Reps. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL) and Gwen Moore (D-WI) introduced a resolution that recognizes the urgent need to prevent and treat obesity as a disease to reduce the risk of related diseases and comorbidities.
“Obesity has rapidly become a serious public health crisis and is touching communities in every corner of the country, especially within underserved populations,” said Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL). “By treating obesity as a disease, while laser-focused on addressing the comorbidities caused by obesity long-term, we can ensure a better and healthier future for all Americans.”
“Recognizing that obesity is a disease is a vital step that helps move our health care system toward a comprehensive care framework for millions of Americans,” said Congresswoman Gwen Moore (D-WI). “I am fiercely committed to expanding access to this care and I am excited to partner on this initiative, which magnifies the importance of properly treating obesity.”
Obesity-related conditions are among the leading causes of preventable and premature death in the United States. Over 42 percent of adults and over 19 percent of children and adolescents in the United States live with obesity. Obesity-related health disparities are felt most acutely by underserved populations, including communities of color, low-income communities, and those who live in rural areas.
In addition to the health consequences, rising obesity rates have a harmful impact on the economy. The federal government spent approximately $283 billion on obesity-related direct health costs in 2023, which are expected to rise by $526.5 billion by 2033. Research has identified at least four major categories of economic impact linked with the obesity epidemic: direct medical costs, productivity costs, transportation costs, and human capital costs.
“We commend the introduction of the Obesity Care Week World Obesity Day resolution. With over 42% of adults and 19% of children in the US living with obesity, it’s clear that action is long overdue,” said Kristal Hartman, Board Chair of the Obesity Action Coalition. “This resolution acknowledges the urgent need for Congress to step up and treat obesity with the seriousness it deserves. By categorizing obesity as a disease and prioritizing evidence-based strategies for prevention and treatment, we can reduce the risk of related health issues and improve the well-being of individuals across the nation.”
“Addressing obesity in the Black community isn’t just about shedding pounds, it’s about dismantling systemic barriers to wellness,” said Monique Lenoir, Executive Director of the African American Wellness Project. “On World Obesity Day, let’s confront the stark reality: in the African American community, obesity isn’t just a health issue; it’s a reflection of broader disparities in access, opportunity, and healthcare. It’s time to empower our communities with education, resources, and support to rewrite this narrative and reclaim our health.”
“People living with obesity should have access to all the treatment options in the continuum of care — plain and simple,” said Beth Battaglino, RN-C, CEO, HealthyWomen. “We commend this resolution for expressing the urgent need for research, treatment, and expanded coverage for obesity.”
“The Society for Women’s Health Research (SWHR) is heartened to see the resolution Recognizing the Need of Congress to Address and Treat Obesity as a Disease in the United States,” said Kathryn G. Schubert, President and CEO of SWHR. “Obesity is a growing epidemic – and one that is linked to health complications, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea, mental illness, and more. Step one in tackling this public health crisis is to recognize obesity for what it is – a complex chronic disease. SWHR thanks Representative Cherfilus-McCormick for introducing this resolution and taking an important step to change our nation’s outlook on obesity.”
“This World Obesity Day and Obesity Care Week, the Obesity Medicine Association strongly endorses the resolution recognizing Congress’s imperative role in addressing and treating obesity as a chronic and relapsing disease in the United States,” said Angela Fitch, MD, FACP, FOMA, President, Obesity Medicine Association. “In acknowledging this, we can take a crucial step toward creating comprehensive solutions that prioritize prevention, treatment, and compassionate care for individuals affected by obesity.”
“It’s time that older adults get access to the comprehensive obesity treatment and care they deserve,” said Ramsey Alwin, President and CEO, National Council on Aging. “Congress and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) should improve access to anti-obesity medications (AOMs) for Medicare beneficiaries who need them because the cost of inaction is far too high for both individuals and society. Representative Cherfilus-McCormick’s House Resolution is a first step in the right direction.”
“Unfortunately, obesity is one of the only chronic diseases viewed as a moral failure for the person living with it,” said Melicia Whitt-Glover, PhD, Executive Director, Council on Black Health. “For the Council on Black Health, the obesity crisis is personal: Black women have the highest rates of obesity or being overweight than any other group, and we know, at the root, lie systemic issues that impact individual choices that result in obesity. We support policies that address the need to recognize and treat obesity as a chronic disease, which is essential to allow individuals to have access to all available treatment options. People struggling with obesity face discrimination and judgment, which can make it more difficult to seek appropriate medical care and support. By calling it what it is – a chronic disease – we promote empathy, understanding, and a shift toward treating this disease with compassion and evidence-based interventions.”
“Obesity-related conditions have risen to near epidemic levels. They disproportionately impact lower income communities, families living in rural areas, and minority populations, and the rate and severity of these conditions will only worsen without adequate attention. Not only is this an issue for patients across the country, but these novel, complex issues are, and will continue to be, in the hands of our already overextended nurses to address and solve,” said ANA President Jennifer Mensik Kennedy, PhD, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN. “Recognizing and treating obesity as a disease, in commemoration of World Obesity Day, will lead to a more strategic response to this unfolding crisis, and the American Nurses Association (ANA) applauds Representative Cherfilus-McCormick for introducing a resolution that would accomplish just that. ANA hopes Congress will take the action necessary to recognize obesity as a disease, so patients can have better access to prevention methods and treatment options, and so nurses and health care professionals are well-equipped to diagnose and treat its comorbidities.”
“The Alliance for Women’s Health and Prevention is proud to support Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick’s resolution for Congress to address and treat obesity as a disease in the United States during Obesity Care Week’s World Obesity Day,” said Millicent Gorham, CEO, Alliance for Women’s Health and Prevention. “As an organization focused on women’s preventive health, we recognize that obesity care is a women’s health issue. All people living with obesity deserve to have access to the comprehensive care necessary to improve their health and well-being, just like any other chronic disease — it’s only fair.”
“Obesity disproportionately affects older rural citizens who are underinsured, in poor health, have low incomes and live considerably farther from health care providers,” said Burton Eller, Executive Director, National Grange.
“Obesity is a disease that is killing our community. We just can’t sit on the sidelines and watch it happen, said Rev. Kimberly L. Williams, Executive Director, Choose Healthy Life. ”Through Choose Healthy Life and our Black churches across the country, we are reaching out, raising awareness, and engaging our communities, providing the care and resources they need to choose a healthy life.”
“The American Association of Clinical Endocrinology has been a fierce advocate for recognition of obesity as a chronic disease and has worked tirelessly to address stigma and bias in this area,” said Dr. Susan L. Samson, President, American Association of Clinical Endocrinology (AACE). “We, at AACE, wholeheartedly endorse Representative Cherfilus-McCormick’s Obesity Resolution.”
The resolution is endorsed by the American Diabetes Association, the American Nurses Association, the African American Wellness Project, the Association of Black Cardiologists, the National Hispanic Health Foundation, the National Hispanic Medical Association, the National Asian Pacific Center on Aging, the National Rural Health Association, the Obesity Action Coalition, the Obesity Society, the Obesity Care Advocacy Network, HealthyWomen, the National Black Nurses Association, National Grange, and the Society for Women’s Health Research (SWHR), the National Kidney Foundation, the Obesity Medicine Foundation, the Council on Black Health, the Alliance for Women’s Health & Prevention, the National Council on Aging, Choose Healthy Life, the American Association of Clinical Endocrinology (AACE), and the American Society on Aging.
Additional cosponsors of the resolution include Reps. Donald Payne (D-NJ) and Nikema Williams (D-GA).
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