This month's author is, Aden Belay, MPH, the STOP Obesity Alliance student research assistant who recently graduated from the Milken Institute School of Public Health.
When I first started my role as a student research assistant with the STOP Obesity Alliance, I had already understood that obesity was very difficult to treat. I understood that the stigma surrounding this disease made access to care and treatment extremely difficult for patients, but I was naive to believe that stigma was as far as this went. It was only through this position, the hours of research, the conversations with Bill and Cristy, and listening to the countless conversations with STOP partners that it became clear that the barriers to treating and preventing obesity remained vast and prominent.
One of the first conversations I had with Bill and Cristy was regarding the correct use of obesity, rather than labelling a person as a disease and referring to them as “obese.” I remember them saying “you don’t call a patient with cancer, cancerous.” Through continued advocacy and awareness, I hope more people, whether clinicians, policymakers, or the public, will be able to have this same “aha” moment. It was one of many that reshaped how I think about what it truly means to advocate for patients with dignity. However, I quickly learned that person-first language isn't only about dignity; it also reflects the medical understanding of obesity as a chronic disease, not a personal failing.
One of the first topics I remember working on for STOP was regarding new ICD-10 codes for the diagnosis of obesity. That month’s topic showed me the outdated classifications that characterized patients with the disease. This insight aligned with the ongoing project at STOP during my time here regarding the need for a standard quality measure for obesity. At first what seemed trivial in the grand scheme of obesity, I later learned was a critical point in care for patients. Inaccurate diagnosis of obesity leads to millions of patients being not accounted for and therefore not receiving the critical care and treatment needed. A significant part of treatment and prevention is correctly diagnosing patients to ensure they are set on the right path.
During my time here, there were also major political and legislative developments that impacted our conversations and advocacy work. The 2024 presidential election, CMS proposals to cover obesity medications in Medicare and Medicaid (including the recent Bridge and BALANCE models), FDA’s draft guidance on the development of drugs for treatment of obesity, the release of The New Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025-2030, and the ongoing rapid development of new GLP-1 medications.
Throughout all these changes, what remained consistent was the mission to advocate for the prevention and treatment of obesity, with a patient-first lens that centers equity, access, and dignity. Obesity is one of the most complex and misunderstood public health challenges of our time. Leaving this role, I carry with me not just a deeper understanding of obesity as a public health crisis, but a clearer sense of the kind of advocate I want to be, one who never loses sight of the patient behind the language and policy.