Tobacco and Obesity
Same principal - Different Application
A Public Health Policy Perspective

The international pandemic of obesity threatens our society, both in terms of present and future adverse health and economic outcomes.

We need to heed the successful lessons against the tobacco industry and apply the same principles toward our efforts against obesity. Just warning people about and throwing more money towards its ravages is not working! (usa today-1)

The preponderance of scientific evidence supports the issue that obesity, once established, is extremely difficult to treat by conventional methods. While we still need to intervene in those patients that are presently overweight, there should be a stronger public policy direction towards primary prevention. (see below for reference-2, 3)

Social attitudes, norms and health and economic disparities must be addressed and policymakers need to encourage radical policy changes, so that there are forced environmental shifts towards effective food production, marketing and consumption.

While personal lifestyle decisions are an important part of this equation, strong environmental policies need to be enacted in order for to support positive adult health behavior change. Therefore, it is now time to have policies and actions such as taxation of junk food, banning of advertising of fast foods and offering of financial incentives to manufacturers of food to sell smaller portion sizes. Policymakers should provide us with framework towards a healthier environment for food consumption and the insidious daily food excesses that leads to overweight and obesity.

This stuff matters. It simply is not acceptable for us to remain silent anymore. Contact and encourage your legislative representative to enact legislation no less efficient to what is in place presently for a smokeless environment. The future quality and longevity of our lives and that of our children hang in the balance.

-- Paul R. Ehrmann, D.O., Royal Oak, Michigan

1. By Martha Mendoza, Associated Press-2007-USA Today
2. BMJ 2004;328:1558-1560 (26 Jun)e- Tobacco and obesity epidemics: not so different after all?
3.-Davey, Stanton, Br J. Sports Med 2004: 38:360-363