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:

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.

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GHRI researchers in obesity

Affiliate researchers

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Recent publications on obesity

2010

Arterburn DE, Alexander GL, Calvi J, Coleman LA, Gillman MW, Novotny R, Quinn VP, Rukstalis M, Stevens VJ, Taveras EM, Sherwood NE. Body mass index measurement and obesity prevalence in 10 U.S. health plans. Clin Med Res. 2010 Aug 25 [Epub ahead of print]. PubMed

Bell JF, Zimmerman FJ, Arterburn DE, Maciejewski ML. Health-care expenditures of overweight and obese males and females in the Medical Expenditures Panel Survey by age cohort. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2010 May 13. [Epub ahead of print]. PubMed

Grow HM, Cook AJ, Arterburn DE, Saelens BE, Drewnowski A, Lozano P. Child obesity associated with social disadvantage of children's neighborhoods. Soc Sci Med. 2010 Aug;71(3):584-91. Epub 2010 May 12. PubMed

Ludman E, Simon GE, Ichikawa LE, Operskalski BH, Arterburn D, Linde JA, Jeffery RW, Rohde P, Finch EA. Does depression reduce the effectiveness of behavioral weight loss treatment? Behav Med. 2010;35(4):126-34. PubMed

Schauer DP, Arterburn DE, Livingston EH, Fischer D, Eckman MH. Decision modeling to estimate the impact of gastric bypass surgery on life expectancy for the treatment of morbid obesity. Arch Surg. 2010;145(1):57-62. PubMed

2009

Arterburn D, Livingston EH, Schifftner T, Kahwati LC, Henderson WG, Maciejewski ML. Predictors of long-term mortality after bariatric surgery performed in Veterans Affairs medical centers. Arch Surg. 2009;144(10):914-20. PubMed

Boudreau DM, Malone DC, Raebel MA, Fishman PA, Nichols GA, Feldstein AC, Boscoe AN, Ben-Joseph RH, Magid DJ, Okamoto LJ. Health care utilization and costs by metabolic syndrome risk factors. Metab Syndr Relat Disord. 2009;7(4):305-14. Epub 2009 Jun 26. PubMed

Simon GE, Arterburn DE. Does comorbid psychiatric disorder argue for or against surgical treatment of obesity? Gen Hosp Psychiatry. 2009;31(5):401-2. Epub 2009 Jul 3. PubMed

2008

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

Nguyen HQ, Koepsell T, Unützer J, Larson E, LoGerfo JP. Depression and use of a health plan-sponsored physical activity program by older adults. Am J Prev Med. 2008;35(2):111-7. Epub 2008 Jun 11. PubMed

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Our major research interests

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