Survey of the Navy's three-tiered obesity treatment program

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