Monitor on Psychology - May 2012 - (Page 36)

design of the Diabetes Prevention Program, says Wing, many of the program’s investigators argued that diet and exercise training was a waste of time, since people have so much trouble losing weight and keeping it off. But Wing fought for it, arguing that behavior contributes to obesity — and that behavior change can lead to successful weight loss and, she hoped, prevent diabetes. Her critics were wrong. “The main study was actually stopped early because the results were so dramatic,” Wing says. The diet and exercise program was almost twice as effective as drugtreatment intervention, reducing the risk of developing diabetes by a remarkable 58 percent (New England Journal of Medicine, 2002). “It was effective in all age groups, all ethnic groups, both genders and in all BMI [body-mass index] categories,” she says. Several factors contributed to the program’s success, Wing says. For one, the program was more intensive than other approaches, requiring patients to meet with coaches frequently over the course of the study. The program also benefited from a vast knowledge base, Wing says. She and her colleagues drew on decades of behavioral weight-loss research to design a curriculum backed by solid evidence. The Diabetes Prevention Program is now being offered in medical centers and YMCAs throughout the country, Wing says. Following that success, she’s now working on a similar project testing whether an intensive behavioral intervention can decrease the risk of heart disease and heart attacks in people with Type-2 diabetes. Wing is proud of the Diabetes Prevention Program’s success and encouraged by the results. Treating obesity may require intensive interventions, she says, but the study is proof that they can work. “One thing we’ve shown is that obesity needs to be treated like a chronic disease,” she adds. “You can’t just teach people in a couple of sessions and then send them off on their own.” Taking on the food industry Like Wing, Brownell knows the difficulty of changing people’s eating and exercise habits. He began his career researching treatments for obesity. “It was interesting, but somewhat discouraging,” he says. He soon shifted his attention from treatment to prevention. In the decades since, he’s focused on food policy and public health. When it comes to food and physical activity, we live in an increasingly toxic environment, Brownell says. He believes food manufacturers deserve significant blame. “The food industry has systematically trained people in the U.S. to eat a diet high in sugar, fat and salt, and increasingly, has spread this negative influence to every corner of the world,” he says. These days we think nothing of eating fast food for breakfast, snacking between meals and consuming dinner while still in the car. Our portion perceptions have also changed. Eight-ounce cans were once the norm, but today we’re accustomed to seeing soda in 20-ounce bottles — or larger. “The food environment APA CLINICIAN’S CORNER WORKSHOPS Live Webcast and On-Site Participation These 3-hour workshops feature leading practitioners and scholars working in key areas of professional practice. All workshops are scheduled from 1:00–4:00 p.m., EDT, and include 3 CE credits. MAY 18, 2012 Professional Issues in the Information Age: Social Media and Beyond Presenter: Jeffrey Ashby, PhD Enrollment fees for LIVE webcast and on-site workshop: JUNE 15, 2012 Heart and Mind: Cardiac Psychology Presenter: Robert Allan, PhD $ $ 65 APA Members 80 Nonmembers For LIVE webcast enrollment (1:00–4:00 p.m. EDT): Go to http://bit.ly/apa-clinicians-corner Call 1-800-374-2721, ext. 5991, option 3 For on-site enrollment (APA building, 750 First Street, NE, Washington, DC): Visit www.apa.org/ed/ce for more CE opportunities. Co-Sponsors: 36 M O N I T O R O N P S Y C H O L O G Y • M AY 2 0 1 2 http://www.apa.org/ed/ce http://www.bit.ly/apa-clinicians-corner http://www.apa.org/ed/ce

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Monitor on Psychology - May 2012

Monitor on Psychology - May 2012
Letters
President’s Column
Contents
From the CEO
Math + science + motherhood = a tough combination
The rights of indigenous people take center stage at AAAS meeting
Interdisciplinary programs that are leading the way
Good Governance Project moves into its next phase
APA publishes third edition of seminal ADHD book for kids
Government Relations Update
In Brief
Random Sample
Judicial Notebook
Psychology’s first forays into film
Time Capsule
Questionnaire
Presidential programming
Obesity researchers receive lifetime achievement awards
Top speakers for psychology’s top meeting
Science Watch
Homing in on sickle cell disease
Psychologist Profile
Alone in the ‘hole’
Public Interest
State Leadership Conference ‘12
Perspective on Practice
Education tops council’s agenda
Meet the candidates for APA’s 2014 president
Presidential election guidelines
Division Spotlight
American Psychological Foundation
Support for sexual miniorities
Personalities

Monitor on Psychology - May 2012