Medical Experts Call on Media to Rethink Coverage of W...(eight loss that sets consumers up for fa...),Health

The Reality Coalition published a paper on overweight and obesity called "Help Not Hype: Getting Real About Weight Loss," in the February 2007 issue of Obesity Management. In the paper, the Coalition identifies the media as having an important role in the fight against obesity. The media have the ability to positively shape consumer's perceptions of maintaining a healthy weight by ensuring thoughtful, scientifically grounded editorial content. Conversely, the media can be harmful when they present inaccurate or misleading editorial messages.

Improving physical appearance may motivate some people to lose weight, and it should be noted that being overweight or obese has a much greater impact on physical health. It is estimated that 112,000 more deaths were associated with obesity relative to normal weight in the year 2000. If the overweight/obesity trend is not reversed, the gains in life expectancy and quality of life resulting from medical advances will erode, and increasing health costs will burden the U.S. healthcare system.

For more information, log on to http://www.reality-coalition.org.

About Overweight and Obesity

Currently, approximately 65 percent of U.S. adults are overweight or obese, according to the National Institutes of Health. Research suggests that overweight individuals appear to be on the pathway to obesity. Overweight and obesity are associated with an increased risk of developing health problems such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Factors that can contribute to overweight include an abundance of high-calorie foods, low levels of physical activity, behavior, environment, and genetics. Multiple studies have shown that a modest reduction in weight improves health outcomes significantly in overweight or obese patients.

About the Reality Coalition

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