The topic of obesity was problematic for the country’s last “top doctor,” but newly appointed Surgeon General Vivek Murthy plans to take on the issue too.
In the three months since the Senate confirmed Murthy, he has talked about medical marijuana, measles and mental health and even helped tout the Affordable Care Act. But next month he is planning a speech on obesity — a topic he told Congress would be a top priority and is the signature issue for first lady Michelle Obama with her “Let’s Move” initiative.
Murthy, a slim Indian-American, won’t face the same challenges as his predecessor, Regina Benjamin. Benjamin was widely criticized for appearing overweight even as she urged Americans to lose weight by adopting healthy habits.
Taking on the issue in a fresh way will be a challenge. Health experts have drawn attention to the problem for years, but obesity rates are still rising for adults and have leveled off — but not diminished — among children.
One way to tackle the issue is to draw attention to specific anti-obesity actions being taken by governments and employers, like workplace wellness programs, said Mike Freeman, executive vice president of the Healthcare Leadership Council.
“I think it’s a twofold process,” Freeman said. “You have to keep attention on the broad issue of obesity, but also look at the solutions. It’s really important to put a spotlight on things that are happening out there that are working on confronting obesity.”
Murthy seemed to express that sentiment in an audio interview dubbed “Get to Know America’s Doctor” released by the Department of Health and Human Services.
“I want to move beyond disseminating information to actually working directly with communities to translate that information into action,” he says in the interview.
The council is hosting a forum where Murthy will speak on curbing obesity. The speech was originally slated for Friday but has been postponed until April 16.
Compared to agency secretaries, surgeons general typically incite relatively little controversy, with the exception of Joycelyn Elders, who in 1994 was forced by the Clinton White House to resign after making controversial remarks about drugs and sexuality.
But the flip side of that is it has been hard for them to grab the public’s attention. Getting noticed enough to gain some traction will be a challenge for Murthy over the four years of his term. Health and Human Services made such an effort this week with the video interview.
As with other surgeons general before him, Murthy doesn’t have much clout over actual spending or policy. But his position does involve overseeing about 6,500 uniformed public health professionals and raising awareness about health matters he finds important.
Surgeons general typically respond to current health crises — and Murthy has done that, urging parents to get their kids vaccinated as measles cases multiply. But they also can choose which issues to emphasize.
John McDonough, a public health professor at Harvard University, called obesity a “logical and smart target” for Murthy to focus on.
“While the rising trend of obesity and overweight appears to be leveling off, the current status quo is a recipe for health and economic disaster,” McDonough said. “So it’s a smart and appropriate target, and it will be worth watching to see if he does it well.”
