• Obesity Surveillance and Tracking - Currently underway in Michigan, these efforts may provide a wealth of information on obesity trends over time, including patterns in various populations and could aid researchers and officials in setting goals and evaluating the success of interventions.
• State Employee and Medicaid Wellness Program Incentives/Penalties - Arizona has considered imposing a $50 annual fee on Medicaid beneficiaries who are obese, diabetic and/or smoke and are not taking action to improve their health status.  
• State-Proposed Modifications of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) - Multiple states have requested tighter control of what can be purchased with SNAP benefits which may include excluding foods and beverages with high sugar or fat content.
• Food and Beverage Taxes - A number of states have proposed or instituted a tax on unhealthful foods and/or beverages to serve the dual purpose of increasing revenue and improving health status.
• State Employee Benefit Plan Coverage Uncertainties - To offset tighter budgets, there is mixed thinking in the way states are looking at obesity-related services in State Employee Benefits plans.  Georgia plans to cut bariatric surgery from the list of covered services effective January 1, 2012, yet Missouri recently reinstated coverage of bariatric surgery after recognizing that the costs of treating co-morbidities such as diabetes outweighed the costs associated with providing bariatric surgery.

Sincerely,  

Director, STOP Obesity Alliance
Professor, School of Public Health and Health Services
Department of Health Policy
The George Washington University

Several Alliance Steering Committee and Associate Members were featured in news stories this month including:

• Alliance Director Christine Ferguson in The Lansing State Journal, "Out-of-Shape System: Today's Health Care Industry Treats Effects of Obesity Without Addressing Root Causes."

• American Dietetic Association in USA Today, "It's an Uphill Climb for Obese Kids and Their Parents."

• American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery in The Washington Post, "Bariatric Surgery May Help Teens, but Insurers Often Exclude Them."

• Partnership for Prevention in U.S. News and World Report, "Free Preventive Health Services Pushing Disease Prevention to the Forefront."

• Trust for America's Health in CQ HealthBeat News, "Prevention Fund Cut Proposal Criticized by Public Health Groups."

• The Obesity Society and STOP Policy Advisor Morgan Downey in Shots, NPR's Health Blog, "Medicare Offers Expanded Coverage to Battle Expanding Waistlines."

CMS to Cover Obesity Preventive Services

Alliance Director Christine Ferguson was quoted in two articles in USA Today and a piece that ran on CBS News Radio in Dallas about the CMS decision to cover screenings and preventive services to help patients address obesity and weight-related issues. Click here to read both stories and the radio piece. Christine's comments about the decision were also included in stories in News-Medical.net, AARP News, TIME, Fierce Health Payer and Daily News Corner.

New SNAP to Health! Resource Launches

The Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress launched SNAP to Health! this month, an initiative that seeks to improve nutrition in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as the Food Stamps Program. The initiative's website features "virtual town halls" to facilitate discussion among SNAP participants, advocacy and non-profit groups, government and industry representatives, and the general public about best practices and innovations for improving nutrition in the program. STOP is included on the obesity page as one of 5 organizations with resources on obesity - the other organizations included are the CDC, Mayo Clinic, The Obesity Society and Yale's Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity. Click here to view the obesity page.

GW Releases New Costs of Obesity Research

Researchers from The George Washington University (GW) released a new report that found obese Americans are paid less than those who are not overweight, especially women with obesity. The team examined data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, which provides detailed information about earnings, education, and employment status and characteristics, to calculate obesity-attributable wage gaps. Click here for more information.

AHA Creates "We The People" White House Petition

HHS Gives States Flexibility on Health Law's "Essential Benefits"

December 16, 2011
Kaiser Health News
By Julie Appleby

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced that states will have flexibility in deciding what "essential benefits" insurers must offer in their health policies in 2014 when they are required to offer affordable insurance exchanges. The administration released guidance that gives states four options for designing a benchmark insurance package. All insurance plans sold to individuals and small businesses will have to cover items and services in a minimum of 10 categories defined by the 2010 law, including preventive care. 

Can Calorie Counts Convince Teens Not to Buy Sugary Drinks?

December 16, 2011
TIME
By Meredith Melnick

According to a study published in the American Journal of Public Health, teens were 40 percent less likely to buy a sugary drink after seeing calorie counts posted on refrigerated beverage cases. Further, teens were 50 percent less likely to buy a sugary drink when shown the exercise equivalent of a sugary drink in addition to calorie counts.  Researchers based these findings on data collected from corner stores in neighborhoods of Baltimore.

Weight Loss, With Divas and Public Service

December 14, 2011
The New York Times
By Elizabeth Olson

Some of the nation's largest diet companies are turning to celebrity endorsements to highlight a health-focused rationale for weight loss. Ellen Granberg, a Clemson University sociology professor commented that weight-loss companies like Weight Watchers, Jenny and Nutrisystem may be transitioning from being seen as diet companies to "preventive health providers." 

How Healthy Is Your State?

December 6, 2011
Fox News

UnitedHealth Group released its 2011 annual state-by-state health rankings in early December. The rankings are based on 23 different factors, including rates of obesity and diabetes as well as cancer deaths. The nation's five healthiest states include: Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Hawaii and Massachusetts. The five least healthy states are: South Carolina, Alabama, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Mississippi. 

Fitness May Lower Death Risk Even Without Weight Loss

December 5, 2011
HealthDay
By Amanda Gardner

Improving or maintaining levels of physical activity can lead to a longer life regardless of whether body weight has stayed the same or increased, according to a study published in the journal Circulation. Study researchers stressed that even though individuals may not see changes in their appearance from exercise, physical activity has an impact on cardiovascular disease, mortality and overall health.

Few Parents Recall Doctor Saying Their Child Was Overweight

December 5, 2011
The Associated Press (posted on USAToday.com)
By Lauran Neergaard

A study published in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine found that less than a quarter of parents of overweight children recall their doctor ever saying that their child's weight was a problem. Study researchers suggest that this finding may be attributed to factors such as parental denial or pediatricians not alerting parents of weight problems until their children are extremely overweight or much older.