A Clinic Based Weight Management Program

“The soldier above all others prays for peace, for it is the soldier who must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war”.- General Douglas MacArthur. General Douglas was a Chief of Staff in World War II. This quote was said to mean that the soldiers who never gave up and gave it there all even if they got hurt they keep going. Veterans are our Americans heroes because they sacrificed their lives, gave us freedom, and gave up all there time to fight.

Adler, N. E., & Stewart, J. (2009). Reducing Obesity: Motivating Action While Not Blaming the Victim. Milbank Quarterly, 87(1), 49-70. doi:10.1111/j.1468- 0009.2009.00547.x

As per Healthy People 2020 most Americans do not consume healthy diets and are not physically active at levels needed to maintain proper health. As a result of these behaviors the nation has experienced a dramatic increase in obesity in the U.S with 1 in 3 adults (34.0%) and 1 and 6 children and adolescents (16.2%) are obese. In addition to grave health consequences of being overweight and obese. It significantly raises medical cost and causes a great burden on the U.S medical care delivery system ("Healthy People 2020," 2014, p. 1).

The promise that Lincoln made to the Veterans was “to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow, and his orphan.” This is the motto for the VA, Veterans Administration, and has been since 1959. Lincoln's words stand as a reminder of what we and the government have to do for them since they have paid the ultimate sacrifice.

On March 4, 1865, President Abraham Lincoln promised the following, “To care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and for his orphan.” His promise means when veterans return from war we should care for them. If a soldier died, care for their widow and make sure they are alright. We should care and respect the people who fought in the war. Lincoln wanted us to know what these people have done for our country and for our protection. We need to care for them so they know we care for their well being.

Within the last half century, the obesity rate in America has increased by twenty one percent from thirteen percent to thirty four percent of adults; while the percent of the population considered overweight has remained stagnate at thirty-four percent. Unfortunately, the increase in the obese population poses a large threat to the health and well-being of United States citizens. Obesity is not only an accumulation of fat mass, but has been linked to many diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. The strain that each of these respective diseases contributes onto the United States healthcare system is great, but how exactly does obesity contribute to the occurrence of these three diseases? What health factors are affected by obesity and lead to the development of chronic illness?

At the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) located in Durham, North Carolina, approximately one-third of the patients are obese. For the past ten years, studies were conducted that estimated, 25-35% of the patients at the VHA were considered obese or overweight. The VHA introduced the patients to a program called, “MOVE!”. The programs goal was weight management to help patients overcome short-term weight loss goals and create a positive reinforcement that encourages to stay at a healthy weight. It was introduced in 2006, and has helped approximately six million veterans lose weight. This program was implemented in 153 hospitals and 956 outpatient clinics. This program started when VHA clinicians noticed the rate of obese patients coming

America, like any other country, has its assortment of problems: immigration, debt, or foreign affairs but one issue that is rather hard to overlook, literally, its obesity epidemic. The extra pounds have become a sight all too common in America’s society, “men are now on average seventeen pounds heavier than they were in the late seventies, and for women that figure is even higher: nineteen pounds.” (Kolbert). Obesity does not just affect adults in this way either, the kid population has been getting bigger, according to the numbers on a scale “the proportion of overweight children, age six to eleven, has more than doubled, while the proportion of overweight adolescents, age twelve to nineteen, has more than tripled.” (Kolbert). This issue has been a major concern to doctors and scientists for decades and in recent years, has even has the American Medical Association recognizing obesity to be a disease (Pollack). That is a highly debatable statement because obesity itself is a preventable lifestyle. Obesity is avoidable and curable to all (or at least most) of its sufferers. For some citizens, obesity is not a choice, rather genetics, but for the majority of the population, obesity is caused by an unhealthy diet and lazy lifestyle, and for these certain individuals, through a lot of work and discipline, the return to a healthy lifestyle is not as impossible as it may appear.

Remembrance is important to many veterans, in many ways. Many veterans are having a hard time out of the military force because they don’t have the limbs or mental health to work a job. Remembering all of these people and acknowledging them can sometimes be hard, but these veterans will never forget a friendly smile or a thank you. The veterans that get a thank you or a friendly smile have an easier time living with their problems and stress. Remembrance also helps a

overweight/obesity in children and adults has become a concern and a threat to national defense

This paper explores the impact of MOVE which is a weight program management for veterans. America and our nations Veterans have a weight problem nearly 69 % of U.S, and 80 % of Veterans enrolled in VA care are overweight or obese . Obesity is liked to rising U.S rates of chronic illness such as diabetes , heart disease and cancer. It's also associated with arthritis pain, injuries and muscle atrophy. Obesity can be addresses with small steps that can lead to big results . Evidence shows that even a little reduction of body weight can creates a meaningful effect in overall health and reduce risk for chronic illnesses. The most effective step Veterans can take is participating in VH's MOVE (Weight Management Program for Veterans).MOVE is VHA's

Obesity has become increasingly more prominent in American society. The Unites States has even been termed an overweight nation. Some twenty to thirty percent of American adults are now considered obese (Hwang 1999 and Hirsch et al 1997). With this in mind, Americans constantly look around themselves determining their weight status as well as that of those around them. While some Americans do fit the healthy category, others enter the underweight, overweight, and even obese categories, all of which can be unhealthy.

Weight management has been thought of as only weight loss by many. Weight management covers all aspects of attaining and maintaining optimum weight for a healthy lifestyle. Health professionals now realize that prevention of weight gain as well as weight loss and improving health status are important goals. These goals must be individualized for success.

Overweight and obesity are serious problems in America today. Over 37 percent of adults are considered to be

We need to communicate that a change in lifestyle is the biggest proponent of weight. In fact, studies have shown that “interventions that promote lifestyle changes…have shown better weight [loss and] maintenance than interventions that do not” (LeCheminant 348). Since ads will continue to showcase the opposite and provide examples, it falls to healthcare providers to amplify this message. Dieticians and nutritionists and even primary care physicians need to focus on explaining that putting in work is the only way for a person to lose weight in a healthy way. However, they cannot just preach this message and expect their patients to immediately comply. Doctors also need to have a background understanding of what a patient’s life includes, and meet them where they are. For example, a poor person who lives in a food desert and buys cheap, unhealthy food is going to have a harder time losing weight than a person who shops exclusively at whole foods. Miscommunication comes when there is no understanding of the everyday hardships a person faces that would prevent them for implementing healthy lifestyle changes a doctor