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The Obesity Society Partners with Healthy Interactions to Advance Obesity Prevention and Treatment

July 28th, 2009 

The Obesity Society Logo

SILVER SPRING, MD AND CHICAGO, July 28, 2009 – The Obesity Society, the leading scientific
society dedicated to the study of obesity, and Healthy Interactions, a global leader in health
education, today announced the beginning of a five‐year partnership. The collaboration will
develop educational materials using Healthy Interactions proprietary Conversation Map®
educational tools to better support the medical treatment of obesity and the behavior change
that is necessary for continued personal success.

The Conversation Map tools use the power of small group dialogue and collaborative learning 
to improve health. Through this method, groups of individuals engage in a discussion about a
disease or subject, recognize how their beliefs or attitudes affect their perceptions, and 
discover ways they can change behavior and improve their personal health management. First
introduced in 2005, the Conversation Map tools now have a presence in over 50 countries and
are dramatically improving healthcare professionals’ ability to engage patients and support
behavior change.

“By fostering constructive, supportive dialogue, Healthy Interactions education programs
provide a powerful means of inspiring behavior change. This is essential for helping people
adopt healthy lifestyles to prevent and address obesity. We look forward to developing these
innovative programs in partnership with Healthy Interactions,” said Dr. Robert Kushner, MD,
President of The Obesity Society.

“We are committed to helping people everywhere live their best lives and particularly to
working in productive partnerships that combat pressing health challenges such as obesity.
Most health behaviors are learned while we are young, so it takes a concerted effort for most 
of us to adopt the new habits needed to reverse the growth of chronic disease around the world.
Together, with The Obesity Society and other leading disease groups and medical associations,
we hope to make a profound impact,” said Paul Lasiuk, co‐founder, Healthy Interactions.

The new relationship seeks to use the power of the Conversation Map tools to address multiple
opportunities associated with preventing, reducing, and managing obesity. For example, one
program being developed will aid bariatric surgery patients in both preparing for and adapting
to their lives following their operations. It is estimated that 200,000 bariatric procedures are
conducted per year. (1) Many experts believe that post‐surgical behaviors have an important
impact on sustained success.

The obesity management program will build on the success of Healthy Interactions Conversation
Map program for diabetes. Through a partnership with the American Diabetes Association, the
Conversation Map methodology has been successfully implemented for diabetes education
across the U.S. More than 17,000 healthcare professionals have been trained on the Conversation 
Map program in North America, and by the end of 2009, it will be integrated into the diabetes 
management platforms of 60 countries, impacting over three million people worldwide.

Download Press Release

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1. American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (Fact sheet on Metabolic and
Bariatric Surgery – www.asmbs.org)

About Healthy Interactions
A global leader in health education, Healthy Interactions is devoted to driving Personal Health
Engagement® ‐‐ our term for helping individuals commit to healthier actions. We create "Aha!"
moments that inspire people to change personal health behaviors. Healthy Interactions builds
partnerships with leading medical and disease associations, not‐for‐profit organizations,
corporations, and caring healthcare professionals trained in our approaches, enabling millions of
people to take control of their health and live their best lives. Founded in 2003, Healthy
Interactions is headquartered in Chicago. For more information, visit
http://www.healthyinteractions.com.

About The Obesity Society
The Obesity Society (www.obesity.org) is the leading scientific organization dedicated to the
study of obesity. The Obesity Society has been committed to encouraging research on the
causes and treatment of obesity and is keeping the medical community and public informed of
new advances. The Obesity Society’s vision is to be the leader in understanding, preventing and
treating obesity and in improving the lives of those affected. The Obesity Society’s membership
comprises 2000 basic and clinical researchers, who have published extensively and care
providers in obesity treatment and prevention.

Contact:
Jane Pratt (The Obesity Society)                               Paul Lasiuk (Healthy Interactions)
Office: 301‐563‐6526                                           Office: 312‐543‐6356
Email: jpratt@obesity.org                                      Email: paullasiuk@healthyi.com