Hope for Those Living with Obesity

Since 1988, Pennington Biomedical Research Foundation has helped Pennington Biomedical Research Center grow to become the world’s largest stand alone nutrition research center and a leader in obesity, diabetes and nutrition research. Over 115 million Americans have obesity. It is a key driver of American’s decreasing life expectancy and is the second leading preventable cause of death in the United States behind smoking. 1 in 6 children are living with obesity. The Wall Street Journal recently highlighted that “The American Academy of Pediatrics for the first time recommended physicians offer weight-loss drugs for children with obesity, aiming to take early action against an increasingly common condition linked to a host of health problems… The association also recommended that doctors offer to refer severely obese children 13 or older to surgeons to assess whether they would be good candidates for bariatric surgery.”

Bold health strategies have addressed public health crises in the past, and we must now tackle the crisis that is obesity by educating Americans who suffer from obesity that it is a disease, but a disease with treatment options. Pennington stands ready to conquer this challenge, and PSA directors like you play a vital role in informing and engaging the public to help us in our mission to eradicate the obesity epidemic in America by 2040.

Help us make the next chapter in the obesity story the final one. Together, we can end the obesity epidemic in America for good.