Obesity
“We’re looking for innovative ways to both treat and prevent obesity—including creating healthier environments and designing programs for whole families.”
David Arterburn, MD, MPH
Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute Senior Investigator
Washington Permanente Medical Group, Internal Medicine
Research overview
“Obesity is the number-one health problem in the United States because it negatively affects our population’s health more than any other condition,” said Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute senior investigator David Arterburn, MD, MPH. Kaiser Permanente Washington researchers are doing practical research to learn how doctors, patients, families, employers, and policymakers can best work together to prevent and treat obesity.
“We’re focusing on three ways to halt the obesity epidemic,” said associate investigator Dori Rosenberg, PhD, MPH. “We’re helping to change obesity-promoting environments, bringing evidence-based prevention and treatment programs into health care systems, and helping people develop lifelong healthy diet and activity habits.”
Kaiser Permanente Washington obesity research areas include:
- reducing sedentary behavior and promoting physical activity and healthy diet in various age groups, populations with chronic conditions, and families;
- shared decision making to help patients find the best way to a healthy weight;
- implementing health coaches in primary care to support behavior changes;
- social networks that support lifestyle change programs;
- relationships between medications and genetic factors in developing obesity;
- health system, community, and national policies that address obesity;
- relationships between obesity and depression, diabetes, and other conditions; and
- long-term benefits and risks of bariatric (weight loss) surgery.
“Obesity is caused by many factors, so at Kaiser Permanente Washington, we’re working on many levels,” said Paula Lozano, MD, MPH, a senior investigator and Kaiser Permanente Washington’s assistant medical director for preventive care. “We’re improving health care to help people who are obese now. But since obesity is a societal problem, we’re also studying how to change our homes and workplaces and neighborhoods to create more healthy environments.”
Recent publications on Obesity
O'Brien R, Johnson E, Haneuse S, Coleman KJ, O'Connor PJ, Fisher DP, Sidney S, Bogart A, Theis MK, Anau J, Schroeder EB, Arterburn D. Microvascular outcomes in patients with diabetes after bariatric surgery versus usual care: a matched cohort study. Ann Intern Med. 2018 Aug 7. pii: 2696493. doi: 10.7326/M17-2383. [Epub ahead of print]. PubMed
McMullen C, Bulkley J, Corley DA, Madrid S, Davis AQ, Hesselbrock R, Kurtilla F, Anderson CK, Arterburn D, Somkin CP, Pawloski PA, Ghai NR, Feigelson HS. Health care improvement and survivorship priorities of colorectal cancer survivors: findings from the PORTAL colorectal cancer cohort survey. Support Care Cancer. 2018 Jun 12. pii: 10.1007/s00520-018-4299-6. doi: 10.1007/s00520-018-4299-6. [Epub ahead of print]. PubMed
Matson TE, Renz AD, Takemoto ML, McClure JB, Rosenberg DE. Acceptability of a sitting reduction intervention for older adults with obesity. BMC Public Health. 2018;18(1):706. doi: 10.1186/s12889-018-5616-1. PubMed
Arterburn D, Gupta A. Surgical procedures for patients with severe obesity-reply. JAMA. 2018;319(20):2137. doi: 10.1001/jama.2018.4116. PubMed
Kim DD, Arterburn DE, Sullivan SD, Basu A. Economic value of greater access to bariatric procedures for patients with severe obesity and diabetes. Med Care. 2018 May 12. doi: 10.1097/MLR.0000000000000924. [Epub ahead of print]. PubMed
Researchers in Obesity
 David E. Arterburn, MD, MPHSenior Investigator, KPWHRI; Physician, Washington Permanente Medical Group, Internal Medicine |
 Paula Lozano, MD, MPHSenior Investigator, KPWHRI; Associate Medical Director for Research and Translation & Physician, Pediatrics, Washington Permanente Medical Group |
 Allen Cheadle, PhDSenior Research Associate, Center for Community Health & Evaluation; Senior Investigator, KPWHRI |
 Dori E. Rosenberg, PhD, MPHAssociate Investigator |
 Gregory E. Simon, MD, MPHSenior Investigator |
 Andrea J. Cook, PhDSenior Investigator |
 Beverly B. Green, MD, MPHSenior Investigator |
 Predrag Klasnja, PhDAssistant Investigator, KPWHRI; Assistant Professor of Information, University of Michigan School of Information |
medication safety
Using phentermine for weight loss longer term found to be safe, effective
Dr. David Arterburn discusses reassuring news from his PCORnet study of the most widely used anti-obesity drug in the United States.
video
Bariatric Surgery linked to fewer complications from diabetes
Sep 2018
KPWHRI’s Dr. David Arterburn and Dr. Rebecca O’Brien, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, talk about results from their recent study. (YouTube, 1:48)
Recent News
How can your neighborhood nudge you toward healthier behavior?
Dr. Arterburn and UW/KPWHRI team go hyperlocal with $2.67-million Moving to Health award from NIDDK on ‘built environment.’
Read it in News and Events.
profile
What motivates Dr. David Arterburn to study obesity?
He aims to reduce suffering from chronic illness. Plus, he's optimistic about research on body-weight regulation and on the psychology of weight-related behaviors.
Latest news
Fewer heart attacks, strokes, and deaths after weight-loss surgery
Obese people with diabetes had fewer deaths in 5 years after bariatric surgery vs. usual care, in large, long-term study.
Read it in News and Events.
Obesity & adolescents
Kaiser Permanente Researchers Study Bariatric Surgery for Obese Teens
In this Q&A, Dr. David Arterburn describes findings from the largest study in adolescents to date.
Read it in News and Events.
News Release
Weight-loss surgery linked to fewer diabetes complications
Aug. 6, 2018—Large, long-term study finds half as much nerve, kidney, and eye disease after bariatric surgery than with usual care.
Read it in News and Events.
PCORnet Bariatric Study
PCORnet Bariatric Study
Welcome to the PCORnet Bariatric Study (PBS) website. PBS is one of the first studies to use the PCORnet data, engagement, and governance infrastructure to conduct comparative effectiveness research.
Video
Moving to Health
Where you live can affect your health, and a $2.67-million NIDDK-funded UW/KPWHRI project explores how.
(Vimeo, 2:10)
