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Greetings!
The New Year is upon us and experts everywhere are making predictions of all sorts, everything from whether the nation will go over the "fiscal cliff" to who will win the Super Bowl.
Not being in the prediction business, I feel comfortable adding only one big idea to the list of things to watch for in the year ahead: we will continue to see major health care policy changes and activity at the state level. The Alliance staff and I have monitored closely the number of decisions that states will need to make as health reform gets implemented, and the list continues to grow.
That's why STOP's research team at The George Washington University (GW) focused its most recent "Weight and the States" bulletin on obesity trends we saw take shape over the past year, including coverage of obesity treatments, obesity prevention and intervention efforts and legislation designed to create healthier environments. The research team reviewed the list of identified "Essential Health Benefits" (EHB) benchmark plans for states and found that a majority of the plans offer very limited obesity-related services. This means that even though research estimates put the medical cost of adult obesity between $147 billion to nearly $210 billion per year, the vast majority of states would need to supplement the EHB plan selected for their states in order to include obesity-related services on or before 2014. Other team findings include the following interesting developments at the state level: - Proposed Essential Health Benefit (EHB) Rule May Exclude Coverage of Obesity Modalities Through 2016: The recently proposed rule from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on EHB remains ambiguous on obesity coverage and could "freeze" plan selections through 2016, which would mean that most states would be locked into excluding obesity-related services for the next several years.
- Obesity is a Family Affair: Public health organizations are beginning to recognize that the family is an essential group to target for preventive interventions for childhood obesity because of strong associations between parent and child obesity.
- Some States are Consolidating Obesity Efforts: As encouraged in a recent Institute of Medicine report, a significant majority of states have created specific coalitions, task forces, committees, or state plans aimed at combating obesity, and some have sought to enhance their obesity efforts through consolidation of obesity programming into one central organizing body.
- Legislation Focuses on Supportive Environments to Promote Healthier Choices: An analysis of state legislative trends found robust activity on improving food environments and increasing opportunities for physical activity. However, the number of bills that actually passed represents a small percentage of the total proposed.
We'll be watching these trends throughout the coming year to see how they develop. In fact, the Alliance will host a webinar on Monday, January 14 to discuss the pros and cons of integrating obesity treatment into state EHB plans. Stay tuned for the invitation and more details. And as always, I welcome your feedback on these issues or trends from your own experience. Please email us at obesity@gwu.edu. On behalf of all of us at the STOP Obesity Alliance, I wish you and yours a healthy, happy holiday season. Sincerely, |
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Alliance & Member News
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Several Alliance Steering Committee and Associate Members were featured in news stories this month including:
Coming Soon! STOP Obesity Alliance Webinar on Coverage of Obesity Services at the State Level
Join the STOP Obesity Alliance on January 14 for a discussion on the pros and cons of integrating obesity treatment into state essential health benefit plans. Alliance Director Scott Kahan, MD, MPH will moderate the discussion and panelists will include Joe Nadglowski, President and CEO of Obesity Action Coalition; Christine Ferguson, JD, Alliance Strategic Initiatives Advisor and Director of the Rhode Island Health Exchange; Jennifer Schwartz, Director of Federal Policy at the Southern Governors Association and Donna Ryan, MD, Professor Emeritus at Pennington Biomedical Research Center. Stay tuned for the invitation and more details in the new year.
New AHIP Infographic on Impact of ACA's Essential Health Benefits Requirement
Latest Edition of America's Health Rankings Report Released
The 2012 America's Health Rankings, sponsored by Partnership for Prevention, the American Public Health Association and UnitedHealth Foundation, highlights troubling levels of obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and sedentary behavior in the United States, but noted that medical advances are allowing more people to live with those conditions. The report found that nearly 27 percent of U.S. adults are obese and more than a quarter are sedentary. Click here to view the report.
ADA Announces New Diabetes Research Initiative
American Diabetes Association (ADA) is launching a new program, Pathway to Stop Diabetes, an effort to inspire and support a new generation of diabetes researchers. Researchers supported through this program will focus on innovative ideas and transformational approaches that lead to discoveries in diabetes prevention and treatment. Click here to learn more about the program.
AHA Publishes Update on U.S. Heart Health
The American Heart Association (AHA) released " Heart Disease and Stroke Statistical Update 2013," which emphasizes that poor eating habits and a lack of physical activity are two key factors standing in the way of improving U.S. heart health. The report, published in the journal Circulation, warns that despite a decrease in deaths from cardiovascular disease between 1999 and 2009, it remains a major cause of death in the U.S. Click here to view the report.
Binge Eating Disorder to Be Included as an Official Diagnosis in the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
The Binge Eating Disorder Association (BEDA) celebrated the inclusion of binge eating disorder as an official diagnosis in the fifth edition of the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, to be published in May 2013. In a statement, BEDA Founder and CEO, Chevese Turner said: "Inclusion of binge eating disorder in the DSM-5 is an enormous step forward for prevention, research, education and treatment of the disorder." Click here to learn more. |
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News Round-Up
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Regular Exercise May Add Years to Life, Study Finds
December 11, 2012
HealthDay
By Randy Dotinga
A study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that people who are physically active may live several years longer than their inactive counterparts. The findings are based on an analysis and extrapolation of American health statistics from 1990 to 2006, including death rates and surveys about physical activity.
Rising Number of Soldiers Being Dismissed for Failing Fitness Tests
December 10, 2012
The Washington Post
By Ernesto Londoņo
Obesity is now the leading cause of ineligibility for people who want to join the Army, according to military officials at the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Center. Between 1998 and 2010, the number of active-duty military personnel deemed overweight or obese more than tripled. In 2010, 5.3 percent of the force was clinically diagnosed as overweight or obese.
Obesity in Young is Seen as Falling in Several Cities
December 10, 2012
The New York Times
By Sabrina Tavernise
Several U.S. cities, including Philadelphia, New York and Los Angeles have witnessed a decline in childhood obesity rates. Researchers were unable to pinpoint the exact reason for the declines but noted that they occurred in cities that have had obesity reduction policies in place for a number of years. Researchers emphasized that in the long term, reversing the obesity epidemic will require a broad set of policies applied systematically.
'Fitness Parks' Catch On in Cities
December 9, 2012
USA Today
By Haya El Nasser
Free outdoor gyms, or "fitness zones," equipped with traditional fitness machinery such as elliptical machines, leg press and sit-up benches built to withstand weather damage are being installed in city parks, often in low-income neighborhoods. The nonprofit group Trust for Public Land is leading the initiative. To date, New Orleans has constructed 18 fitness zones, Los Angeles has 41 and the state of Florida has 17.
In United States, More Cite Obesity as Most Urgent Health Problem
December 5, 2012
Gallup Wellbeing
By Elizabeth Mendes
According to Gallup's annual Health and Healthcare survey, more Americans said obesity is the most urgent health problem facing the United States than in previous years, climbing to a new high of 16 percent. The article noted Americans' increasing concerns about obesity mirror the nation's rising rates of obesity. In 1999, when Gallup began asking the question on an annual basis, only 1 percent said obesity was the most urgent health problem.
Cost of Treating Morbidly Obese Patients Continues to Trend Up
December 3, 2012
Healthcare Finance News
By Rene Letourneau
In its 2012 Bariatric Report, healthcare supply contacting firm Novation reports that 74 percent of the facilities that responded to its survey have seen an increase in the number of bariatric surgeries in the past 12 months. More than half of respondents also spent more on the treatment of morbidly obese patients in the last 12-18 months than they had in previous years.
Georgia College to Cut NCAA Budget, Put Funds into Anti-Obesity Programs
December 2, 2012
Fox News
By Elizabeth Prann
Spelman College, a historically black college, announced it will cut the school's NCAA competitive sports budget and instead use those funds to improve the health and wellness of the entire student body. The college will spend the $1 million budget on a state-of-the-art gym and campus-wide wellness programs. The article noted that student body, most of whom are African-American women, are twice as likely to become diabetic and experience a heart attack or stroke.
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