Chevy Chase, MD— The Endocrine Society and U.S. House Representative Carolyn McCarthy (NY) hosted a briefing in Washington, DC to discuss how the nation can utilize new research and treatment advances to improve the public's ability to understand, treat and cure obesity.

According to a 2008 JAMA study, 16.3 percent of children and adolescents aged 2-19 years are obese and almost one third are at risk for obesity.  In a recent study, the CDC found that the probability of an obese adolescent (age 16-17) becoming an obese adult (age 37-38) was 80 percent for boys and 92 percent for girls.

"The obesity epidemic is not going away and it leads to substantial morbidity and mortality," said Dr. Daniel Bessesen, MD, Professor of Medicine at University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine. "While there is consensus that something needs to be done, there is currently no broadly accepted organized national plan for addressing this public health crisis."

Drs. Bessesen, Myron Genel, MD, Senior Research Scientist at Yale University School of Medicine and Leonard Wartofsky, MD, MACP, Professor of Medicine at Georgetown University School of Medicine and past-president of The Endocrine Society presented the latest advances in obesity research and treatment and offered recommendations that Congress could implement to address the obesity epidemic.

The presenters called for increasing funding for research into new prevention and treatment options, ensuring communities have adequate and safe opportunities for physical activity and providing better access to nutritional foods and drinks.

At the briefing, The Endocrine Society launched ObesityinAmerica.org, a Web site that serves as a one-stop clearinghouse for those seeking the most up-to-date news and information on endocrine-related scientific trends and advancements addressing obesity.

Visitors to the Web site will find information and links to the newest obesity-related studies and statistics from globally respected peer-reviewed journals, universities, government agencies and health organizations.  In addition, the site maintains a comprehensive list of medical experts qualified to interpret research and trends. An RSS feed links the site to news each and every day.

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Founded in 1916, The Endocrine Society is the world's oldest, largest, and most active organization devoted to research on hormones and the clinical practice of endocrinology. Today, The Endocrine Society's membership consists of over 14,000 scientists, physicians, educators, nurses and students in more than 80 countries. Together, these members represent all basic, applied, and clinical interests in endocrinology. The Endocrine Society is based in Chevy Chase, Md. To learn more about the Society, and the field of endocrinology, visit our web site at www.endo-society.org.