Recognized for Outstanding Advocacy

Ted Kyle (left) is awarded the OAC Member of the Year award by Pam Davis (center) and Joe Nadglowski (right).

In 2012, both The Obesity Society and the Obesity Action Coalition singled out Ted Kyle, Principal and Founder of ConscienHealth, for outstanding advocacy work.The Obesity Society, the leading professional and scientific society dedicated to the study of obesity, awarded the Atkinson-Stern Award for Distinguished Public Service to Kyle. The award recognizes an individual or organization whose work has significantly improved the lives of people affected by obesity, whether through research, public policy, patient care, or other means. Previous winners include President Bill Clinton and USA Today reporter Nanci Hellmich.

“Ted Kyle has been a tireless and effective advocate for people with obesity for many years,” wrote Patrick O’Neil and Rebecca Puhl in nominating Kyle for  the Atkinson-Stern Award. O’Neil is the 2012 President of The Obesity Society, Director of the Weight Management Center at the Medical University of South Carolina, and Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. Puhl is Director of Research and Weight Stigma Initiatives at the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University.

In addition, the Obesity Action Coalition named Kyle 2012 Member of the Year for his work advocating for sound, evidence-based approaches to treating and preventing obesity. The Obesity Action Coalition is the only national not-for-profit whose sole focus is helping individuals affected by obesity. “Ted Kyle is truly an ‘exemplary’ OAC member in every sense of the word. From assisting the OAC with state and federal advocacy issues to combating weight bias, Ted has proven to be someone with a wealth of knowledge who continually dedicates himself and his work to the fight against obesity,” said Joe Nadglowski, OAC President and CEO.

Kyle works on many causes related to obesity, including fighting weight bias, encouraging health plans to cover obesity treatments, pressing for more research into the causes of obesity, and working with the FDA to find ways to improve the review process for new treatments. For the past two years he has served as volunteer chair of the Advocacy Committee of the Obesity Society. In addition, he serves on the steering committee of STOP Obesity Alliance and serves as a board member of the Obesity Action Coalition. He devotes fully half his professional work to pro bono work for obesity.