Medical groups' anti-obesity drive urges exercise, healthy eating

Two and a half years after Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger hosted his obesity prevention summit, California's main physician and managed care groups Tuesday unveiled their recommendations: Eat sensibly and exercise.

Those suggestions, in a nutshell, are outlined in three tool kits for children and adults released by the California Medical Association Foundation, which represents doctors, and the California Association of Health Plans.

Dr. Francisco Prieto, a family physician and past president of the Sacramento-Sierra chapter of the American Diabetes Association, conceded that the spiral notebooks that will be distributed to doctors do not contain new material.

But at a news conference at Sutter General Hospital in Sacramento, Prieto said the recommendations reflect the consensus of more than 50 health professionals and are designed to "help doctors and their patients begin a fight against the obesity epidemic."

Although California has experienced the fastest increase of adult obesity in the nation, according to the physician group, less than 30 percent of overweight patients report being counseled by their doctors.

Chris Ohman, chief executive officer of the California Association of Health, said the "direct and indirect cost" of obesity in the state is $28.5 billion annually.

The tool kits, Ohman said, were developed in response to Schwarzenegger's call to the state's community organizations, companies and health plans for action. But a review by the staff of state Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Los Angeles, found that few companies honored by the governor at his summit had fulfilled their commitments.

Padilla, who earlier this year chaired a Senate panel that looked into the issue, cited McDonald's Corp. and Dole Food Co. as examples.

McDonald's pledged to print healthy eating messages on tray liners, while Dole Food Co. said it would provide portable salad bars to 50 California schools. On Tuesday, Padilla's staff said neither company had fulfilled its commitments.

Kim Belshé, Schwarzenegger's health secretary, said the administration has been "heartened and encouraged that the overwhelming majority of (summit) participants that made commitments have stepped forward."

During the rollout of the obesity tool kits, Belshé said the administration is "continuing to engage" companies that have not kept their commitments.

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• Call Aurelio Rojas, Bee Capitol Bureau, (916) 326-5545.