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This session discussed the increasing prevalence, etiologic factors, comorbidities, cost estimates, treatment recommendations, and other relevant information associated with overweight and obesity in the US.

Since the 1980s, the food industry, in collusion with the advertising industry, and lifestyle changes have short-circuited the body’s self-regulating mechanisms, leaving many at the mercy of reward-driven eating. Through the evidence of research, personal stories (including candid accounts of his own struggles) and examinations of specific foods produced by giant food corporations and restaurant chains, Dr. Kessler explained how the desire to eat–as distinct from eating itself–is stimulated in the brain by an almost infinite variety of diabolical combinations of salt, fat and sugar. Although not everyone succumbs, more people of all ages are being set up for a lifetime of food obsession due to the ever-present availability of foods laden with salt, fat and sugar.

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While all sides agree obesity is a significant problem for America, where do the reasonable bounds of government involvement in nutritional decisions end? Should the government be able to legislate what people are eating by banning or taxing certain health products? How can consumers improve their healthcare without government intervention in their food decisions? Congressman Price discussed the limitations of government involvement in food decisions and the importance of consumer choice.

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America is in the middle of an obesity epidemic as are most industrialized nations. Some leading economists a have concluded that this is a fine state of affairs that people are simply rationally choosing how much to eat, exercise, watch TV, drive their cars and all the other behaviors that have led them to become the largest generation in history. Dr. Ubel showed why this view is wrong, highlighting what behavioral science has taught about the irrational forces that are making us fat, the policy implications of these findings, and that the free market alone cannot solve the obesity epidemic.

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Consumers have various attitudes towards products that are defined as “healthy living.” What are those attitudes? How do they react to advertisements on these products? What can companies do to gain their loyalty? David Kweskin, long-time expert on consumer attitudes & behaviors, answered questions on these and other consumer attitudes.

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Major consumer packaged goods companies have committed themselves to improving the health of Americans through product innovation and reformulation, education and corporate communications efforts. Many have signed on to high-profile not-for-profit and public health initiatives. Understand why these efforts often fall short of adding meaningful value to consumers’ health & wellness efforts and how to adjust your strategy to maximum the investment. Drawing on her diverse background on pharma and CPG campaigns, Leikin shared examples and wisdom on how to add significantly add value to your marketing activities through integration of meaningful health promotion.

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Marketers of all types of health-related and food/beverage products need to look at consumers with obesity, diabetes and other metabolic diseases through a new lens. Behavioral science provides far deeper insights into how marketers need to address the underlying reasons consumers behave (or not) as they do and appreciate the levers that can be pushed or pulled to change those outcomes. All marketers need to take a more holistic view of their consumer and understand that to change behavior, you need to promote health and not just the medicine or brand.

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According to the CDC, more than 1/3 of U.S. adults (over 72 million people) are obese. Obesity is a leading preventable cause of death globally and has been declared “one of the most serious public health problems of the 21st century”. This session explored the role of Search, as well as emerg­ing platforms such as mobile and online video, as purveyors of content, tools and resources that can empower lifestyle change for those suffering from obesity and obesity related diseases. For example, nearly 50% of consumers report that online health videos serve as a top resource when searching for medical information and prescription drug information. Additionally, 7 in 10 health consumers are interested in watching health related videos. How do these trends drive patient education programs for the healthcare community in the realm of obesity?

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Marketers want to know what consumers think about obesity and how best to discuss the issues consumers are actually concerned about. But what are consumers really looking for? By asking executives from some of the leaders in interactive online health in both the search and Q&A format, our panel discussed what trends they notice in online consumer interaction and how insight into the mindset of consumers can be gleaned from such information.

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Celebrities are often featured in ads for weight loss and obesity products. How do consumers view them? Are they trusted messengers of these products? How do their experiences on weight loss drugs compare for celebrities versus “average people” in how consumers view them? Experienced campaign leaders from JWT analyzed in-market creative from the Weight Watchers and other dietary campaigns to examine this effect.

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While the food industry is often the target of public health advocates, food companies can, in fact, play an important role in mitigating nutrition-related chronic diseases such as obesity and diabetes. This session reviewed examples of what has been done, is being done, and could be done to show how the for-profit sector is part of the solution. What laws and public policies are needed to fight the obesity crisis,and what the food industry is doing to respond to health issues.

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Obesity epidemic expert, health pundit and child wellness crusader MeMe Roth provided her take on reversing the obesity epidemic by discussing how the food, beverage, and restaurant industries are marketing disease- and obesity-accelerators through the food supply and how important it is to stop Secondhand Obesity (obesity handed down from one generation to the next, as well as from citizen to citizen); while encouraging exercise across all ages. Success relies upon wholly re-imagining what the U.S. population considers “normal” food consumption and “normal” exercise. When the majority is overweight, America cannot be normal.

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What is the food industry doing to market anti-obesity products? What can they do better? What opportunities exist in the space? Who is doing it well and who is simply touching on a large problem? Our expert panel discussed.

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Hispanics are one of the demographics most at risk for obesity today. Jorge Daboub of Univision led a panel on how best to break that language and culture barrier and discuss what can be done to let the Hispanic community know about the abundance of options that they can undertake to stave off the obesity crisis in their communities.

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Dr. Henrie Treadwell moderated a panel on obesity in regards to what is being done by companies to assist in the combat of the epidemic in the US through corporately supported programs and the marketing goods, services and products to the African-American community.

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What does public health want from the private sector to mutually advance goals to address obesity? How have public health and private sector worked together? Why does it make sense to collaborate and how can companies and government benefit? Faye Wong from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention gave her organization’s perspective.

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Too often, the first response to a problem as large as the childhood obesity epidemic is to find someone to blame for it. But in fact, we all share responsibility – personally, corporately, in the private and public sector – not for just how we’ve gotten here but more importantly for how we can create a healthier country together. In his talk, Bob McKinnon discussed the barriers that have prohibited successful collaborations to date including the lack of appreciation for the different roles that the public and private sectors play in society and how we can find common ground and mutually beneficial solutions that begin with a simple acceptance that the public and private sectors have different but equally valid reasons for desiring the same outcome, a healthier citizenry.

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It is hard to understate the severity of the childhood obesity epidemic. Americans are getting larger at an alarming rate and are doing so younger and younger. The children of America are in worse physical condition than at any time in this country’s history. What can be done to combat this crisis? What is the media’s responsibility in this? How can initiatives be communicated to today’s children to stop them from becoming the most obese generation in history? Our expert panel discussed.

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How can legislators utilize public policy to dictate behavior? Why is it important to change how products are marketed to children and in schools? What is the government’s responsibility to make sure that people are eating better and not burdening the healthcare system with obesity-related diseases? Leading expert Ellen Haas discussed the importance of these pending laws.

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When an entire society is told that thinner is better and studies everywhere agree diets don’t work, it’s time to take a look at the assumptions behind the messages. How important is BMI really and is thinner really better? What has the government done in terms of changing the BMI standards so that they consider Brad Pitt to be overweight and George Clooney obese and how do these positions drive the arguments that America is too fat? Professor Campos suggests that Americans should take another look at weights, dieting, and how they want to let the government regulate what foods they should eat and how they should be marketed and wonders how necessary some of those proposals really are.

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Our panel took a look at all sides of the current discussion as to the advantages and disadvantages of certain sin taxes, advertising limitations, and the difference in what should be allowed in marketing to adults and children.