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Experts challenge physicians to broaden partnerships, media reach to improve obesity
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WASHINGTON — Keynote speakers challenged physicians gathered for the Consensus Conference on Obesity to broaden their view of improving the obesity state by working with industry partners and raising awareness via new methods such as social media.
“The strategy is to partner with others to strengthen clinical-community linkages,” Patrice A. Harris, MD, MA, director of health services in Fulton County, Georgia, and member of the American Medical Association Board of Trustees, said. “It’s about thinking big, perhaps starting small, learning fast, and spreading the word.”
Harris explained that the AMA is collaborating with the YMCA to implement evidence-based programs in various cities to address the prediabetes epidemic. The AMA is piloting the program and offers a guide for physicians to implement individual partnerships and Harris suggested this could be implemented via state medical associations and larger groups as well.
In addition, in her role working with the Georgia SHAPE initiative, Harris said partnerships with the private sector are key to their success. The partnership with Georgia Organics allowed for introduction of healthier foods in the community schools, hosting a “farm to pre-school” summit, for example. SHAPE also embraced social media by using Instagram to push photos of the Georgia SHAPE flags.
“It’s easy to say ‘I’m with you,’ but you have to make sure people are making explicit commitments” with specific goals, Harris said.
That specificity is integral to the partnerships of Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA), Lawrence Soler, the organization’s CEO, said in his presentation.
Soler showed how PHA works with many companies to “make the healthy choice the easy choice for American families.” This process analyzes various industry partners to determine the impact they have on communities, negotiates proposed changes and commits PHA and the industry partner to one another to make the change and show impact.
Currently, PHA’s partners range from food providers such as Walmart, ShopRite and Subway and manufacturers such as Nike and Reebok to health care industry organizations such as GE Healthcare and hospitals such as Nemours and Cleveland Clinic.
Soler pointed out that PHA also has media partners through which PHA promotes these initiatives and they utilize social media as well. The Drink Up! campaign, introduced by PHA’s chair, Michelle Obama, was covered by just about every news outlet, but also increased exposure via Instagram hashtags.
“The work that is happening here and in your communities is really important,” Soler said. “I challenge you as physicians and organizations working with physicians to begin to think more broadly in your role as physicians. There’s a whole lot going on that you can bring awareness to.” -- by Katrina Altersitz
Disclosures: Soler is employed by the Partnership for a Healthier America.