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March 6, 2006

Top obesity researcher joins Group Health

Seattle—David Arterburn, MD, MPH, national leader in obesity research, recently joined Group Health Center for Health Studies as an assistant investigator. In joining the Center for Health Studies, Dr. Arterburn brings his expertise in finding what really helps treat obesity safely and effectively over the long haul.

His past work has indicated that the number of obese elderly people will more than double from year 1990 to 2010 in the United States, and that obesity was associated with more than $50 billion in total U.S. health care expenditures in 2000.

Dr. Arterburn is a 1997 graduate of the University of Kentucky School of Medicine and he first became interested in obesity research while completing his residency—and then serving as chief resident—in Internal Medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio in 2000.

Since then he has authored many articles about obesity’s impact on health outcomes, serves as the medical editor for the Foundation for Informed Medical Decision Making, and served as assistant professor with the University of Cincinnati and the Cincinnati Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

Dr. Arterburn is no stranger to Seattle, having completed a fellowship in health services research and development at the Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System. He also earned his master’s degree in public health and community medicine, specializing in health services, at the University of Washington’s School of Public Health and Community Medicine in 2003.

When not at work, Dr. Arterburn enjoys training for triathlons and duathlons.

About Group Health Center for Health Studies

Founded in 1947, Group Health is a consumer-governed, nonprofit health care system that coordinates care and coverage. Based in Seattle, Group Health and its subsidiary health carriers, Group Health Options, Inc. and KPS Health Plans, serve more than 568,000 members in Washington and Idaho. Group Health Center for Health Studies conducts research related to prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of major health problems. It is funded primarily through government and private research grants.

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