Obesity Research & Publications

Below you will find research and publications on obesity and overweight completed by the faculty and staff of the Department of Health Policy. These resources are meant to educate decision-makers about obesity and provide innovative solutions and strategies to combat the epidemic.

State Coverage Research

A fifty states and District of Columbia survey of coverage for prevention and treatment of obesity and related conditions. The research included three domains of coverage: state Medicaid plans, employee health benefits plans, and state insurance mandates.

Reports

A Heavy Burden: The Individual Costs of Being Overweight and Obese in the United States

The Department of Health Policy released this report on September 21, 2010, at a public event at the Newseum in Washington, DC. The event included a panel discussion featuring:

  • Dr. David Satcher, M.D., Ph.D., FAAFP, FACPM, FACP, 16th U.S. Surgeon General

  • Dr. William Dietz, M.D., Ph.D., Director of the Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

  • Joseph Nadglowski, Jr., President/Chief Executive Officer, Obesity Action Coalition

  • Christine Ferguson, J.D., Professor, The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services, Department of Health Policy

  • Avi Dor, Ph.D., Professor, The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services, Department of Health Policy

  • Chaz Merkel, Bariatric Coordinator, who shared his experience as an obese individual

The data included in this report, coupled with the widely reported costs of obesity to society, highlight the enormity of the financial impact of the obesity epidemic both to the individual and society as a whole and underscore the critical need for policies that focus on prevention and treatment.