City of Los Angeles Proclamation on Obesity Care

WHEREAS: The disease of obesity is a major source of concern across the nation. In California, the adult obesity rate is nearing a quarter of the population (24.7%) and in Los Angeles County, the percentage of adults affected by obesity continues its steady rise from 13.6% in 1997 to 24.3% in 2013, and

WHEREAS: Experts and researchers agree that obesity is not a lifestyle choice but rather, a complex disease influenced by various physiological, environmental factors, and

WHEREAS: While prevention programs, including the 2010 California Obesity Prevention Plan, have successfully established the seriousness of this public health crisis, it is also imperative that individuals and families currently affected by obesity receive comprehensive care and treatment, and

WHEREAS: Studies show that bias and stigma against people affected by obesity among general society and healthcare professionals are significant barriers to effectively treating the disease, and

WHEREAS: Healthcare professionals must treat patients with respect and compassion, and partner with patients to develop a comprehensive and individualized approach to weight-loss and weight management that considers all appropriate treatment options such as reduced-calorie diet and physical activity modifications, pharmacotherapy, or bariatric surgery, and

WHEREAS: It will take a long-term collaborative effort, involving partners from across all fields – individual, corporate and institutional – taking an active role, to ignite the betterment of obesity care and treatment:

NOW, THEREFORE, I, ERIC GARCETTI, as Mayor of the City of Los Angeles, and on behalf of its residents, do hereby proclaim the week of November 1-7, 2015 as Obesity Care Week in the City of Los Angeles, and encourage all our citizens to create the foundation of open communication to break barriers of misunderstanding and stigma, and improve the lives of all individuals affected by obesity and their families.

September 25, 2015

Eric Garcetti
Mayor

@DrSharma
Los Angeles

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