Obesity
Until recently, health care systems have largely ignored the growing problem of obesity. Without a coordinated effort to deliver obesity-related treatment and preventive care, obesity continues to become more common among adults and children. The same is true for the diseases associated with obesity; as Group Health Research Institute (GHRI) research has shown, these include not only diabetes and heart disease but also many others, including such mental problems as depression. Obesity now has a greater economic impact in the United States than either smoking or drinking, and it also significantly lowers people's quality of life, productivity, and longevity.
"Our biggest challenge in obesity is to figure out how to implement obesity prevention and treatment strategies successfully on the population level without significantly escalating health care costs," said David Arterburn, MD, MPH, an assistant investigator at GHRI. "We must do three things at the same time," he added:
- Conduct research to reverse the obesity-promoting environment
- Create new biomedical and psychosocial models that help individuals sustain behavior changes over the long term
- Make a strong business case for population-wide implementation of obesity prevention and treatment programs that address fundamental questions about the quality and cost of health care
Addressing the obesity epidemic will require multidisciplinary research teams with strong collaborative ties to employers, health plans, health care delivery systems, and industry partners. Various investigators at the Institute are working in all of these areas, with a common goal of finding safe, effective, and innovative ways to prevent and treat obesity. Their work ranges from studying links between obesity and mental disorders, including depression, to preventing and treating obesity in all age groups.
Researchers in obesity
GHRI
- David Arterburn, MD, MPH
- Bill Beery, MPH
- Andy Bogart, MS
- Andrea Cook, PhD
- Paul Fishman, PhD
- Paula Lozano, MD, MPH
- Evette Ludman, PhD
- Katherine Newton, PhD
- Greg Simon, MD, MPH
Affiliate researchers
- Beverly B. Green, MD, MPH
Group Health Department of Preventive Care; University of Washington School of Medicine
Recent publications on obesity
2008
Arterburn D, Schauer DP, Wise RE, Gersin KS, Fischer DR, Selwyn CA Jr, Erisman A, Tsevat J. Change in predicted 10-year cardiovascular risk following laparoscopic roux-en-y gastric bypass surgery. Obes Surg. 2008 Aug 13. [Epub ahead of print]. PubMed
Benedict MA, Arterburn D. Worksite-based weight loss programs: a systematic review of recent literature. Am J Health Promot. 2008;22(6):408-16. PubMed
Arterburn D, Westbrook EO, Wiese CJ, Ludman EJ, Grossman DC, Fishman PA, Finkelstein EA, Jeffery RW, Drewnowski A. Insurance coverage and incentives for weight loss among adults with metabolic syndrome. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2008;16(1):70-6. PubMed
Arterburn D. Bariatric surgery: can reduce weight and improve long-term survival, but the risks must also be considered. BMJ. 2008;337:a755. PubMed
2007
Arterburn DE. Obesity in children. BMJ Clinical Evidence. 2007; 05:325.
Ruelaz AR, Diefenbach P, Simon B, Lanto A, Arterburn D, Shekelle PG. Perceived barriers to weight management in primary care-perspectives of patients and providers. J Gen Intern Med. 2007;22(4):518-22. PubMed
2006
Arterburn D. The BBC diet trials. BMJ. 2006;332:1284-85. Article
Our major research interests
- Aging & geriatrics
- Alternative approaches to healing
- Behavior change
- Biostatistics
- Cancer control
- Cardiovascular health
- Child & adolescent health
- Chronic illness management
- Health informatics
- Health services & economics
- Immunization & infectious diseases
- Medication use & patient safety
- Mental health
- Obesity
- Preventive medicine
- Women's health