Health and Fitness

January 17, 2012

Kaiser Permanente Helps Launch Weight of the Nation Campaign

HBO has announced its latest documentary series: The Weight of the Nation. The series signals the launch of what promises to be one of the most far-reaching public health campaigns on the topic of obesity.

Kaiser Permanente is proud to be working with HBO (Home Box Office), the Institute of Medicine, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institutes of Health and the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation to tackle this most urgent and critical public health crisis.

The Weight of the Nation documentary series and campaign present a unique opportunity to spotlight the severity of the obesity epidemic, to showcase strategies that work and, most important, to catalyze action to end obesity. Kaiser Permanente’s clinical practices, Healthy Eating Active Living collaboratives and Every Body Walk! campaign are among the examples of successful efforts underway that are beginning to reverse the trend of obesity.

Carrying extra weight creates grave health consequences, including type-2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension and stroke, and certain forms of cancer. These chronic conditions consume 80 percent of health care costs in the United States and can lead to increased risk of premature death, decreased productivity and a diminished quality of life.

In the coming months, materials will become available on theweightofthenation.hbo.com/ that provide individuals, care providers, employers and advocates with tools for how they can leverage the Weight of the Nation documentary series to spark change where they live, learn, work, play or pray.