2005 Summit Summary

The second Action on Obesity Summit took place on June 9 and 10, 2005, and was hosted at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. The goal of this summit was to provide a forum to collect ideas, discuss, learn about, and identify action items that can be used to decrease the prevalence of obesity. Participants attending the summit represented diverse populations. Approximately 55 organizations, including representatives from Mayo Clinic, government, academia, businesses, media, and the food industry, were represented. Three AAASP delegates (Dr. Robert Brustad, Dr. Diane Whaley, and Dr. Christy Greenleaf) all presented sport and exercise-psychology-related action items at the summit.

Update on the Obesity Epidemic

• Minnesota ranks 25th among the states in prevalence of obesity with 25 percent of its population clinically obese.
• Obesity is the second leading cause of preventable death in the United States.
• Childhood obesity rates for children ages 3-6 has nearly doubled in the last ten years.
• The necessary daily activity now recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is 10,000 steps per day, which equates to approximately 60 to 90 minutes of exercise a day.
• Americans can expect a 1 to 2 pound weight gain per year if they are not meeting the CDC physical activity recommendations.
• Although these facts may seem overwhelming, small changes can be made gradually by decreasing caloric intake by 100 to 200 calories per day, and walking an extra 100 to 200 steps per day.

AOO Sessions
In one keynote address, Dr. Aynsley Smith and Matthew Sorenson critiqued the implementation and barriers to change of the AOO task forces' efforts at change in the worksite, community, state and nation. Summit participants shared action items on childhood obesity, obesity in high-risk populations, worksite programs, and physical activity initiatives. A panel on "The Pain and the Pride" featured individuals who have successfully or unsuccessfully changed their behavior. A different panel looked at successful marketing programs, such as the Arkansas child obesity program led by Dr. Joe Thompson, the Target Market program, and the Sesame Street obesity initiative. Breakout sessions (orchestrated by James Whitehead of the American College of Sports Medicine) allowed participants to identify the ideas that have the most potential to bring about measurable change in the worksite, community and schools, in healthcare, and in the state and nation.

Dr. Susan Blumenthal, former U.S. Assistant Surgeon General, presented facts and statistics on how obesity is impacting the United States, while calling for a multifaceted public health approach with many voices backing a community response to the epidemic. Dr. Robin Mockenhaupt from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation discussed applied action-oriented research to the obesity epidemic and called for immediate action now, based on the current best practices. Dr. James Hill, co-founder of America on the Move, encouraged participants to appreciate the biology of both nutritional and physical components of the obesity epidemic. After several years of research, Dr. Hill concludes that caloric intake simply must equal caloric expenditure. Thus, he emphasized that sustainable impact must be done with small changes.

Plans for the future include the writing of a White Paper which will update Mayo personnel to the many changes made thus far to the nutritional and physical activity culture on campus. It will include the priorities of continued action to be taken to address the obesity epidemic. Much has been accomplished by the Action on Obesity task force, but clearly, there is a tremendous challenge ahead before the 2006 AOO Summit.

Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty proclaimed June 5-11 Action on Obesity Week in Minnesota, in recognition of the summit. The proclamation was presented to Dr. Aynsley Smith at the summit.