SURVEY OF THE NAVY 3-TIERED OBESITY TREATMENT PROGRAM

The Navy's diverse, three-tiered obesity treatment program is describe d. Level I (command-directed) programs rely primarily on group exercis e to treat obesity; most level Il (outpatient counseling) and level II I (6-week inpatient) programs are modeled on Overeaters Anonymous and devote substantial amounts of time to group discussion, behavior modif ication, and nutrition education. Lack of funding or staffing has prev ented many level II facilities from conducting a weight-management pro gram, however. Further research might explore the potential for level II to provide a cost-effective middle ground for obesity treatment.