The Business Engagement in Obesity Solutions Innovation Collaborative (BEOS IC) is an ad hoc activity associated with the Roundtable on Obesity Solutions at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (The National Academies). This ad hoc convening activity fosters information sharing and collaboration toward the Roundtable aims as well as progress on findings highlighted in prior National Academies reports.

Any activities and products associated with this collaborative do not necessarily represent the views of any one organization, the Collaborative, the Roundtable, or the National Academies and have not been subjected to the review procedures of, nor are they reports, products, or activities of the National Academies.

Scope
Building on Roundtable Member interest in business engagement in obesity solutions, this Collaborative will promote business engagement in strategies for obesity prevention and treatment with a focus on the health and economic well-being of companies, workers, and their communities.

Mission
The Collaborative’s purpose is to catalyze and facilitate private sector partnerships and actions of multiple sectors to work together to enhance the lives of workers by improving the nation’s health through prevention and access to obesity care.

Vision
The Collaborative creates an active space where participants take action on obesity prevention and treatment, contributing to a transformational effort that makes powerful and measurable impact.

Membership
Roster of BEOS IC Membership

Special Sessions
The BEOS IC hosts multiple exclusive special sessions throughout the year, featuring esteemed experts who present innovative strategies for employers to enhance obesity prevention, management, and treatment outcomes. These sessions offer members a unique platform to engage in meaningful dialogue, network with peers, and exchange information, tools, and resources. Past invited speakers have included the Nashville Metro Public School System, the Tees Valley (UK) Obesity and Productivity Roundtable, GlobalData, and Milliman.

Products
The links below are to products by members of the Business Engagement in Obesity Solutions Innovation Collaborative, an ad hoc activity associated with the Roundtable on Obesity Solutions at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (the National Academies). The publications do not necessarily represent the views of any one organization, the Roundtable, or the National Academies and have not been subjected to the review procedures of, nor are they reports or products of, the National Academies.

INNOVATIVE EMPLOYER-PROVIDED BENEFITS FOR OBESITY

In July 2021, Dr. Anthony Fabricatore, Medical Director at Novo Nordisk, presented on evidence-based obesity care for employer-provided benefits, and Abigail Ammerman, Manager of Benefits Program at H-E-B Grocery Company, presented on the innovative health and wellbeing programming happening at H-E-B. The objective of this webinar was to identify best practices for obesity-centered employee benefits across the entire spectrum of care (from prevention to treatment). The webinar also resulted in a publication authored by Abigail Ammerman and Donna Ryan (Pennington Biomedical Research Center) calling for employers to remove barriers to accessing obesity care.

• Webinar: Employee Benefits for Obesity Care and One Company’s Innovative Approach
• Commentary: An Innovative Approach to Employer-Provided Benefits for Obesity Care: A Case Report on H-E-B’s Healthier Lifestyle Choices Program by Abigail Ammerman and Donna H. Ryan

ENGAGING AND EDUCATING EMPLOYERS ON THE EFFECTS OF OBESITY ON BUSINESS

See the link for a webinar on the emerging science on “healthy weight”, what a comprehensive care continuum looks like, how to best assess a population and highlight the gaps in wellness programs that address obesity. The webinar was hosted by the National Alliance for Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions and featured IC member Jenny Bogard speaking about My Healthy Weight Initiative, as well as Richard Lindquist, Director of the American Board of Obesity Medicine. See the link for a commentary by the webinar presenters, published through the National Academy of Medicine, to continue the dialogue from the webinar.

• Webinar: Re-looking at our Approach to a "Healthy Weight": Engaging employees for sustainable behavior change
• Commentary: Partnering to Tackle the Obesity Epidemic: How Employers are Rethinking Obesity to Better Address Care, Treatment, and Engagement with Their Employees by Jenny Bogard, Richard Lindquist, and Margaret Rehayem.

ENGAGING LOCAL BUSINESSES IN COMMUNITY OBESITY SOLUTIONS

Members of the IC (previously named the CEO IC) engaged local businesses in Cleveland, Ohio to discuss community obesity solutions, and developed a portal to connect businesses to community resources in Cleveland, Ohio.

See the link for a discussion paper about the IC’s engagement of local businesses in Cleveland in community obesity solutions.

• Working Toward Engaging Local Businesses in Community Obesity Solutions: A Preliminary Account from the Field