This past year has seen some significant advances for those of us working to overcome and prevent obesity. The Institute of Medicine Roundtable on Obesity Solutions convened its first meeting and continues to engage a diverse leadership, the Office of Personnel Management prohibited the exclusion of obesity medication from the health plans of federal employees, and the USPSTF released recommendations for intensive behavioral therapy in obesity treatment.

2014 also was a productive year for GW's obesity research team. We hosted two roundtables to discuss the GW Obesity Decision Aid, which is currently being piloted in a primary care practice, as well as our Why Weight? guide, which was released in November. STOP also began a strategic planning process to further refine our goals and agenda for the upcoming year, and we appreciate the informative contributions many of you made to that process. In addition to looking forward, we have also been building on our work of the past.

Since 2010, the STOP Obesity Alliance's research team has conducted an annual analysis of Medicaid coverage for obesity prevention and treatment. In this year's analysis, we found that there have been no significant changes to coverage for pharmaceutical therapy since our 2013 report. However, one state (NM) added bariatric surgery coverage and 15 states added coverage for nutritional assessment and consultation. Only six states lost coverage in this category.

To date:

• 13 states cover obesity medications of which 5 provide limited coverage
• 36 states and the District of Columbia exclude obesity medications
• 47 states and the District of Columbia cover bariatric surgery
• 3 states exclude bariatric surgery

Extensive continued coverage of bariatric surgery denotes progress. Likewise, the limited number of states that provide support for medications and the lack of progress by the remaining states emphasize how far we have to go. Still the improved coverage of nutritional assessment and consultation is promising. States added coverage to all of the four sub-categories: preventive counseling, nutritional consultation, disease management and education, and behavioral consultation and therapy.

Changes in coverage were as follows:

• Two states (VT, FL) and the District of Columbia gained coverage and three states (NV, MS, DE) lost coverage for preventive counseling
• Five states (VT, SC, PA, IL, IN) and the District of Columbia gained coverage and one state (CT) lost coverage for nutritional consultation
• Six states (WV, SC, WY, NJ, TX, WI)  gained coverage and no state lost coverage for disease management and education
• Seven states (NM, PA, TX, WY, IL, IA, ME) gained coverage and two states (IA, MT) lost coverage for behavioral consultation and therapy

As we know, the needs of patients with obesity vary, and patients require access to a wide range of treatments for effective management. Extending coverage for a broader range of obesity-related services and treatments will be an important next step. Despite the milestones of the past year, a great deal of work remains to ensure that anyone struggling with obesity has access to individualized care.

Please have a look at our latest review of coverage to learn more about your state's Medicaid coverage for obesity services and consider contacting your state Medicaid director to urge them to increase your state's coverage.

Thanks,

 

Short Sleep and Breathing Problems Increase Obesity Risk for Kids

December 11, 2014

Medical News Today

By Marie Ellis

A study published in The Journal of Pediatrics found sleep-disordered breathing and chronic lack of sleep each double the risk of a child having obesity by 15 years of age.

Researchers found that children with the most severe cases of sleep-disordered breathing have the greatest obesity risks and were twice as likely as asymptomatic children to develop obesity by ages 7, 10 and 15.

Hormone That Controls Satiety Also Links Obesity to High Blood Pressure

December 5, 2014

Medical News Today

By Catharine Paddock, PhD

A study published in Cell reports that researchers found that the hormone leptin is the link between obesity and increased blood pressure. Researchers noted that targeting how leptin acts in the brain to regulate both weight and blood pressure could offer a useful way of helping people to address obesity and associated problems such as high blood pressure and heart disease.

Study: Obesity May Shorten Life Expectancy by Up to 8 Years

December 4, 2014

TIME

By Eliana Dockterman

A study published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology found that obesity and extreme obesity can reduce life expectancy by up to eight years and deprive people of as many as 19 years of healthy living. Researchers noted that young people with obesity are most at risk.

Longer Breast Feeding May Protect Infants at Risk for Obesity

December 4, 2014

HealthDay

By Tara Haelle

A study published in Pediatrics found that babies at high risk for obesity were less likely to become overweight the longer they were breastfed. Researchers noted that breast feeding for longer durations appears to have a protective effect against the early signs of overweight and obesity.