The FDA Forms Obesity Working Group

By Michelle Meadows

Obesity rates have skyrocketed over the last 20 years, and the situation keeps getting worse. More than 60 percent of adults in the United States are overweight or obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). About 15 percent of children and adolescents are overweight. And the list of related health problems is long. People who are overweight or obese are at increased risk for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease, certain cancers such as breast and colon, depression, and other illnesses.

FDA Commissioner Mark B. McClellan, M.D., Ph.D., says the current policies and advice to the public on obesity haven't been effective enough. He is calling on researchers, the food industry, consumer groups, and the medical community to work with the FDA to tackle this epidemic.

"Helping more Americans achieve a healthy weight is a major priority," McClellan said at an FDA public meeting held on Oct. 23, 2003, at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md. "We want people to have good, clear information about the nutritional value of foods, and we want to protect them from false and misleading claims." McClellan noted that too many people are looking to dietary supplements as a quick fix for being overweight or obese. "Dietary supplements may help you lose weight, but they also pose health risks," he said.

The public meeting was sponsored by the FDA's Obesity Working Group, which McClellan formed in August 2003 to develop strategies to help consumers lead healthier lives through better nutrition. The group is led by FDA Deputy Commissioner Lester Crawford, D.V.M., Ph.D.

The public meeting, which included FDA presentations and a public participation session, encouraged discussion on six main questions:

What is the available evidence on the effectiveness of education campaigns to reduce obesity?
What are the top priorities for nutrition research to reduce obesity in children?
What is the available evidence that the FDA can use to guide effective efforts to prevent and treat obesity by behavioral and medical interventions?
What changes to food labeling could result in the food industry developing healthier foods and in consumers selecting healthier foods?
What research opportunities exist that might best support the development of healthier foods?
What are the most important things that the FDA could do to make a significant difference in addressing overweight and obesity, based on the scientific evidence available?

The FDA's Obesity Working Group is scheduled to complete a report that includes an action plan in February 2004. The action plan will set out specific means for developing and implementing new and innovative ways to help consumers make healthier choices. The working group is charged with developing a message and outlining an obesity education program to deliver the message.

The working group may craft approaches that propose improvements to the food label, increase collaborations with the restaurant industry to better inform consumers, facilitate development of more medical products to treat obesity, and identify research needs for producing healthier foods, as well as research to get a better understanding of consumer behavior and motivation.

Several organizations presented comments to the FDA at the meeting, including the American Obesity Association, which would like to see more focus on the treatment of obesity and stressed the importance of enforcement for fraudulent weight-loss products.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest suggested the use of a "healthy food symbol" that could make it easier for consumers to spot nutritious foods. The National Food Processors Association suggested the need for all stakeholders to refocus Americans' understanding of the role of diet and exercise to achieve and maintain healthy weight.

Other participants included the International Food Information Council, the Girl Scouts of America, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, Shape Up America, and the Center for Consumer Freedom.

The FDA is reviewing public comments on obesity issues, which were due to the agency on Nov. 21, 2003. For more information, see www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/obesity.html.

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