Shape Up America! is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization committed to raising awareness of obesity as a health issue. The mission of Shape Up America! is to provide evidence-based information and guidance on weight management to the public, health care professionals, educators, policymakers and the media.

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Founded in 1994, Shape Up America! is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization committed to raising awareness of obesity as a health issue and to providing responsible information on healthy weight management.

Diabesity®

In 2000, Shape Up America! launched a Diabesity® initiative to raise awareness of the growing prevalence of obesity and diabetes in America. The first Shape Up America! national conference on the topic, held in Arlington, Virginia in 2001, addressed the factors contributing to the increase in obesity and type 2 diabetes among people of all ages, including children, and suggested practical measures to help stem the tide of this public health threat.

These efforts continued with The Second National Conference on Diabesity® in America, at Rutgers University on November 21-22, 2003. At that conference, Shape Up America!, the New Jersey Obesity Group, and the Department of Nutritional Sciences at Rutgers University hosted a series of outstanding speakers who addressed basic and clinical aspects of Diabesity®. Diabesity® is a term trademarked by Shape Up America! that refers to the poorly understood causal link between obesity and type 2 diabetes — the most prevalent form of diabetes in America. The proceedings of the 2003 conference, including a description of the highly successful Diabetes Prevention Program, are summarized in a downloadable document that can be accessed through the following link:

Proceedings from The Second National Conference on Diabesity® in America
(MS Word format)