Letter From The Director
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Greetings!
With discussion about health reform moving to the "Who, What, Where and Whens" of implementation, states are now in the spotlight. State leaders are making tough decisions, thinking about how to implement various provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) and how to make the most of limited federal dollars to produce the best health outcomes.
Because every state faces different needs when it comes to addressing its own public health concerns, there are a plethora of different directions they are taking to implement health reform. How states will tackle obesity and weight-related chronic diseases is no exception.
To learn more about the varying approaches, the STOP Obesity Alliance hosted a roundtable discussion with officials from state legislatures, Medicaid offices and employee health benefit plans at the Hall of States in Washington, D.C. on August 10. Representatives from 5 states (Maine, North Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia and Wisconsin) and the District of Columbia provided insight on the challenges and opportunities their states face in addressing obesity and its comorbid conditions, such as diabetes.
I was hoping for a candid discussion that would reveal some of the perspectives that hadn't necessarily been discussed in the national debate. And that's exactly what we got. In some ways, the conversation was not surprising in that the group found many common challenges, including:
- Overcoming the public perception that obesity results from a lack of personal responsibility;
- Addressing obesity and diabetes within the confines of limited budgets;
- Combating stigma and its effect in creating reluctance to address adult obesity AND childhood obesity;
- Identifying innovative strategies; and,
- Analyzing the cost-effectiveness of existing programs based on "before and after" medical claims data.
Two recurrent themes emerged as the conversation progressed. First, despite policymakers' hopes that the resources they dedicate to obesity prevention and treatment will lead to improved health, the decision-making process for purchasing and coverage is often not based on best practices or current evidence. Second, the way in which states frame the discussion about obesity and obesity-related diseases makes a big difference in their ability to effect change. The Alliance research team is currently working on a white paper that will examine these themes in further detail and we anticipate releasing it later this year.
To further inform our look at the states, we have been busily compiling a series of charts comparing how obesity is addressed in Medicaid programs and state employee health benefit plans for all 50 states as well as state insurance regulations.
While conducting our research, we discovered a lack of comprehensive compilations of state data and think this first-of-its-kind set of charts will make comparisons across states easier. The charts will be published next month on the GW Department of Health Policy and STOP Obesity Alliance websites.
We look forward to continuing the conversation with state policymakers in the year ahead, and we will be sure to let you know when the charts are available so you can take a look at them to get a sense of what is happening in your state.
| Sincerely,
Christine C. Ferguson, J.D.
Director, STOP Obesity Alliance
Professor
School of Public Health and Health Services
Department of Health Policy
The George Washington University |  |
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Alliance & Member News
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Task Force on Women Statement Now Available!The STOP Obesity Alliance Task Force on Women held a forum on July 21 entitled "Can Women Continue Carrying the Weight of the World" to discuss topics most important to women dealing with obesity and related chronic diseases. The Task Force of more than 20 health advocacy organizations came to agreement on four areas that have a significant impact on weight and obesity in women. Click here to read the full statement that contains the focus areas and more research on the Alliance website. Alliance Welcomes AWHONN as New Associate MemberThe STOP Obesity Alliance recently welcomed the Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) as an Associate Member. Click here for more information on AWHONN and other Alliance Members. Alliance Members in the NewsSeveral Alliance Steering Committee and Associate Members were featured in news stories this month including:
- American Association of Diabetes Educators in The Huffington Post, "Dr. Michael Roizen: 'You Can't Make a Deal With Food'."
- American College of Sports Medicine in The Philadelphia Inquirer, "Weightlifting Professor Attests to Health Benefits."
- American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery in HealthDay, "Stomach Reduction Surgery Via Mouth a U.S. First."
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in The Wall Street Journal, "CDC Report Shows More Obese U.S. Adults."
- Joslin Diabetes Center in The Boston Globe, "What Works?"
- National Business Group on Health in CQ HealthBeat, "Employers Foresee Bigger Health Cost Jump Next Year."
- National Indian Health Board in Bloomberg BusinessWeek, "Obesity Rates Fall for White Girls, Not for Blacks or Indians."
- Partnership for Prevention in Richmond Times-Dispatch, "Preventive Care Focus of Health-Care Initiatives."
- Rebecca Puhl, Ph.D. in That's Fit, "Fat vs. Obese - What's in a Name?"
AHA Launches Interactive Advocacy Annual Report
The American Heart Association (AHA) launched a new interactive online report highlighting major federal, state and local policy victories for the AHA in fiscal year '09 - '10. "Progress in Policy" outlines advances in legislative and regulatory issues that benefit heart disease and stroke patients and their loved ones in health reform, research funding, obesity prevention, tobacco control, emergency cardiac care and stroke systems of care. The articles, videos and photos in the interactive report provide an insider's view of the work of AHA's "You're the Cure" advocates, volunteers and staff. To view the report, click here.
CDC Releases 2010 Vital Signs Report on Obesity Prevalence
The American Dietetic Association (ADA) has opened registration and housing for the 2010 Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo, Nov. 6-9 in Boston, Mass. The conference is an annual meeting for food and nutrition professionals that offers the latest nutrition science information and discusses foodservice trends. Educational sessions will cover topics including obesity, alternative medicine, culinary trends, life-cycle nutrition and medical nutrition therapy. Click here for information about registration and housing options.
ASBP Opens Early Bird Registration for 60th Annual Obesity & Associated Conditions Symposium
The American Society of Bariatric Physicians (ASBP) will host its 60th Annual Obesity & Associated Conditions Symposium, Nov. 10-14 in New Orleans, La. The symposium - for physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants and clinical administrative staff with varying levels of knowledge about treating obese patients - is now open for early bird registration and will feature several Continuing Medical Education (CME) topics. Featured CME topics include sleep apnea and obesity, vitamin D deficiency and autoimmune diseases, weight management in specific populations, optimal diet plans and the newest pharmacotherapy, including Qnexa, Contrave and Lorcaserin. Click here to register for courses online and here to reserve a discounted hotel room. Early bird registration ends Oct. 10.
DMAA Issues Complimentary Preview of The Forum 10 Programming
HLC Launches National Dialogue for Healthcare Innovation
The Healthcare Leadership Council (HLC) announced the formation of the National Dialogue for Healthcare Innovation (NDHI), a coalition of leaders from private sector health care, government, academia and patient and consumer organizations that will work together toward consensus on issues affecting health care innovation. The first of a series of planned forums will take place on Oct. 4 in Washington, D.C. The forum will convene leaders and organizations involved in health care delivery and policy to discuss challenges and opportunities affecting medical innovation in the United States. Click here for more information about the NDHI coalition.
Partnership for Prevention Convenes National Commission on Prevention Priorities
The Partnership for Prevention will convene the National Commission on Prevention Priorities for a committee meeting on Oct. 26-27. The Commission works to identify the most beneficial and cost-effective preventive services that protect and improve health. Click here for more information about this initiative.
Alliance Member Conferences in September 2010
Several Alliance Members will host annual conferences and meetings in September:
- The National Business Group on Health will hold its 24th National Conference on Health, Productivity, and Human Capital on Sept. 14-16 in Washington, D.C. The theme of this year's conference is "Innovative Solutions for the Reset Economy." Click here for more information and here for registration information.
- The National Indian Health Board (NIHB) will hold the "2010 NIHB Annual Consumer Conference," Sept. 20-23 in Sioux Falls, S.D. Click here to view the agenda and here to register for the conference.
- American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) will host the ACSM Conference on Integrative Physiology of Exercise, Sept. 22-25 in Miami Beach, Fla. Click here to view an advance program and here to register.
- The Association of Clinicians for the Underserved (ACU) will host the National Summit of Clinicians for Healthcare Justice on Sept. 23-25 in Washington, D.C. ACU will kick off the Summit with a pre-conference workshop called "Community Oriented Primary Care: Integrating Medical Home and Community."
- American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) will offer its 2010 Specialty Conference for Primary Care Nurse Practitioners (NPs) to experienced primary care NPs who are seeking an intensive update in cardiology, dermatology or orthopedics. The conference will be Sept. 24-26 in Orlando, Fla. Click here to register.
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- America's Health Insurance Plans will discuss today's legislative and regulatory successes and challenges related to health care reform at its 15th Annual State Issues Conference, Sept. 30 - Oct. 1 in Washington, D.C. The forum will examine the progress of health care implementation and its effect on the states.
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News Round-Up
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Want to Lose Weight? Drink Water
August 25, 2010
The Washington Post
Rob Stein
A new study conducted by a team of researchers at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute found that drinking a couple of glasses of water before meals can help people consume fewer calories. The researchers studied 48 adults ages 55 to 75 who consumed a low-calorie diet for 12 weeks and found that participants who drank two 8-ounce cups of water just before each meal lost about 15 1/2 pounds compared to only 11 pounds for those who did not drink the water.
A woman in Georgia says she was charged $5 more than normal at a nail salon because she was overweight. The salon manager told WSB-TV that she added the surcharge to compensate for chairs broken by overweight customers. Her pedicure chairs have a weight limit of 200 pounds and cost $2,500 to fix.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposed guidelines that will help companies understand what information they need to post on their menus as part of the new health care legislation. Under the law, companies must post the number of calories for standard items on their menu and menu boards and make other information, such as saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, total carbohydrates, sugars, fiber and total protein, available upon request. The FDA said it realizes the industry will need time to comply with the new provisions, so it expects to refrain from enforcement action for a time period that will be provided in the guidance once it is finalized.
Obesity Rates Fall for White Girls, Not for Blacks or Indians
August 16, 2010
Bloomberg
Arielle Fridon
A study published in Pediatrics found that obesity increased among black and American Indian girls in California while declining for non-Hispanic whites. The rate of obesity rose to 22 percent in 2008 for black girls, from 20 percent seven years earlier, while climbing for American Indian girls to 23 percent from 15 percent. According to the researchers involved in the study, the findings suggest there will be greater disparities among racial and ethnic groups over time, and that anti-obesity programs must be tailored to high-risk populations.
1 in 5 Hospitalizations Involve Diabetes Patients
August 16, 2010
HealthLeaders Media
Cheryl Clark
A report from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality says that nearly one in five hospitalizations in 2008 involved patients with diabetes. The cost of caring for those patients was $83 billion for 7.7 million stays, or nearly one in four dollars of hospital costs that year. Hospitalized patients with diabetes had on average 2.6 comorbidities, including obesity, as opposed to 1.3 comorbidities for patients without diabetes.
Innovative Health Programs Counter Primary Care Shortage
August 16, 2010
USA Today
Rita Rubin The shortage of primary care doctors could lead to longer waits not only for primary care but also for specialty care as well as greater use of expensive emergency rooms for non-emergencies, researcher Walt Zywiak of Computer Sciences Corp., an international consulting company, noted in a July report. Some innovative programs, however, provide a glimpse of what the future of primary care could look like, including a practice where doctors provide more care via the phone or e-mail than face-to-face; one that offers "shared medical appointments" for six to 14 patients; and, a clinic in which nurse practitioners provide primary care.
South Carolina to Cover Obesity Surgery Next Year
August 13, 2010
Associated Press
Seanna Adcox Government workers in South Carolina who are also obese can now get gastric-bypass or Lap-Band surgery through the state health plan under a pilot program that starts in January 2011. According to the director of the state's employee insurance program, the employee insurance plan will cover surgery costs for 100 people statewide on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Half of Women Would Give Up Sex Rather Than Gain 10 Pounds
August 11, 2010
USA Today
Nanci Hellmich In a Nutrisystem poll of 1,001 people, half of the women polled say they would rather go without sexual intercourse for the summer than gain 10 pounds and a fourth of men feel the same way. More people also say they would rather shed 10 to 20 pounds during the summer than get promoted at work.
Big Waist Increases Death Risk
August 9, 2010
WebMD
Bill Hendrick
According to a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, having a large waist circumference increases the risk of death - even for people who are not overweight. The study found that people with very large waists - 47 inches or more for men and 42 inches or more in women - were about twice as likely to die compared to thinner people and not just from weight-related problems. Among women, the risk association between waist size and death was strongest for those with a normal BMI. Researchers say the reason is unclear and that more study is needed.
Pregnant Women Who Gain Too Much Weight May Raise Child's Obesity Risk
August 5, 2010
USA Today
Nanci Hellmich According to a study published in The Lancet, women who gain too much weight during pregnancy are more likely to have high-birth-weight babies, which may increase the children's risk of becoming obese later in life. Although birth weight is not the only determinant of adult weight, lead author of the study, pediatric endocrinologist David Ludwig of Children's Hospital, says the findings suggest that an optimal time to begin obesity prevention efforts is before birth. |
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The Strategies to Overcome and Prevent (STOP) Obesity Alliance receives funding from founding sponsor, sanofi-aventis U.S. LLC and supporting sponsors, Allergan, Inc. and Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. |
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