Tuesday, June 15, 2004 Posted: 1:02 PM EDT (1702 GMT)

CHICAGO, Illinois (AP) -- "I'm Michael and I'm obese."

Doctors laughed at the American Medical Association annual meeting when one
of their own stood up to admit his girth, but the subject was serious:
physicians tackling the nation's obesity epidemic by addressing their own
weight problems.

Dr. Michael Fleming -- the Shreveport, Louisiana, family physician who
prompted the chuckles -- said he has decided to wear a pedometer and take
10,000 steps daily. It is the same advice doctors give patients and a
message the American Academy of Family Physicians is relaying to its more
than 90,000 members so they can serve as role models.

Fleming, the academy president, was one of several doctors Monday who
talked of personal responsibility at a brainstorming session to help set
the agenda for a fall AMA meeting on obesity.

The informational session came during the AMA's annual meeting. Delegates
took action later Monday on several obesity-related measures, including
agreeing to advocate for at least 30 minutes of daily free play or physical
education in elementary schools.

In place of a resolution seeking AMA support for restricting snacks and
soda in schools, the delegates voted to reaffirm existing AMA policies on
healthy eating and exercise for children, which a committee said captures
the spirit of the resolution.

Delegates also voted to reject a measure seeking encouragement by state and
local governments of exercise-friendly areas in cities nationwide,
referring the issue to the AMA's fall obesity meeting.

The separate informational obesity discussion, which drew an overflow crowd
of more than 150 doctors, harkened to the AMA's stand in 1968 urging
doctors to quit smoking themselves and post no-smoking signs in their
offices to set an example. The AMA is seeking to give obesity the same
attention.

Setting the standard
Fleming said he was motivated by the memory of watching a doctor tell
Fleming's grandfather years ago to quit smoking -- and then seeing the
doctor put out his own cigarette.

Other doctors stood up to tell their own weight-loss stories -- not
mentioning how they slimmed down, but urging others to follow suit.

Dr. John Seibel said he has managed to go from a body-mass index of about
31 to 24. Anything over 30 is obese, while above 25 is considered
overweight.

"I find it much easier now to talk to my patients" about obesity, said
Seibel, of Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Dr. John Kelly, a 78-year-old obesity specialist from Rochester, New York,
said he had gained weight after a stroke but now has an acceptable BMI of
25.

About half the doctors attending the session raised their hands when asked
if they exercised 30 minutes most days.

Some of the doctors ate high-calorie sweet rolls and muffins provided at
the hotel. One doctor took the microphone and said more healthful food
should be served at such meetings to set an example.

"We should start with ourselves" and offer food like bran muffins "instead
of the hyper-cholesterol meals," said Dr. Mary Ellen Bradshaw, a public
health specialist from Arizona.

But Dr. Paul Handel of Houston told participants, "The obesity epidemic is
not the fault of Krispy Kreme or McDonald's. Unless we rekindle some sense
of personal responsibility ... 20 years from now we will still be
struggling to treat" the problem.