By Peggy Peck
CHICAGO (Reuters Health) - Obesity is a major public health concern in the United States and doctors are not exempt from the problem.
At a meeting of the American Medical Association's House of Delegates here, an informal after-lunch survey showed that 280 members were overweight or obese, while just 140 were normal weight or less.
Based on obesity guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 percent of delegates were underweight and 33 percent were normal weight, while 47 percent were overweight and 19 percent obese.
The delegate survey came just a day after the AMA sponsored an educational forum on the growing concern about obesity.
Asked to comment on the "size" of the AMA House, Trustee Dr. Ronald Davis of Detroit -- who noted that his weight is normal -- said, "Doctors do hard work that requires long hours and many don't get the physical activity that they should get."
Nonetheless, Dr. Davis said there is no doubt that the AMA could do more about promoting fitness among its members.
"We have made an effort to promote healthy food and I think that is working. I don't think I've ever seen as much fruit as I have at this meeting," he said. But he added that he has also seen a good deal of "eggs, bacon and sausage."
Davis, who is a preventive medicine specialist, said the AMA plans to concentrate on fitness in much the same way that it attacked smoking. He said that currently less than 5 percent of physicians smoke, which is a tribute to the anti-smoking efforts of the organization. He noted that in addition to the survey, the AMA has "handed out pedometers to encourage members to walk."
Dr. John F. Schneider of Flossmoor, Illinois, a member of the AMA's Council on Scientific Affairs said the Council plans to follow-up the baseline survey data from this meeting with surveys in December and in June 2005.
One AMA member who got a head start on the new obesity awareness campaign is AMA President Dr. John Nelson of Salt Lake City. Nelson weighs 42 pounds less than he did when elected in June 2003. He told Reuters Health that he has been following a low-carbohydrate diet.
Beyond tracking the fitness of its delegates, the AMA approved a series of resolutions aimed at tackling the national obesity problem including one that asks for legislation to require that fast food restaurants provide lists of the nutritional content of all foods, including total calories, fats and carbohydrates.
The AMA also wants school cafeterias to provide full nutrition information and ingredient lists.
In a related action the AMA approved a recommendation that all elementary schools be required to have at least 30 minutes of free play or physical exercise daily.