Daily Diet: New Report on Obesity and Health Care
Earlier this week, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality issued the 2009 National Healthcare Quality Report and National Healthcare Disparities Report. At 155 pages, this report covers the effectivenss of our system to treat diseases such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, HIV and AIDS, among others. Also in the report is a new section on lifestyle modifications, because “preventing or reducing obesity is a crucial goal for many Americans and an important task for health care providers.”
The numbers can be a bit staggering: 72 million adults are obese (defined as having a BMI of 30 or higher), 84.8 million adults have no leisure-time physical activity, and the total health care cost related to obesity sits at an estimated $147 billion. Billion, with a B. While we know that obesity is an ongoing concern for both children and adults, there were some interesting facts that arose from this survey, particularly the role that doctors play in the observation and treatment of obesity in their patients. Namely:
- One-third of obese adults have never received advice from their doctor about exercise.
- Obese adults who are black, Hispanic, poor or have less than a high school education are less likely to receive diet advice from their doctor.
- Most overweight children and one-third of obese adults report that they have not been told by their doctor that they are overweight.
- Most American children have never received counseling from their health care provider about exercise, and almost half have never received counseling about healthy eating.
The reports states that “Although physician guidelines recommend that health care providers screen all adult patients for obesity, obesity remains underdiagnosed among U.S. adults. While we cannot place the blame solely on the medical community for the obesity issues this country faces, it is one important component, and this report highlights the need for medical professionals to jump into the fray and address the obesity issue with their patients, no matter how uncomfortable it might be. “Physicianbased exercise and diet counseling is an important component of effective weight loss interventions, and it has been shown to produce increased levels of physical activity among sedentary patients.”
Patients who are uninsured are obviously less likely to see a doctor and, according to the report, when they do see a doctor they are approximately 20 percent less likely to have obesity issues addressed, in the form of advice on healthy eating or on exercise. This means that those without the means, and possibly the knowledge, to change the situation are less likely to get the critical information they need on obesity and how to combat it.
While it may take a village to raise a child, everyone in that village needs to take that role seriously and stop avoiding the issue of obesity. Food manufacturers need to do their part to provide healthier food at a reasonable price, parents needs to look objectively at their children and do their best to provide a healthy diet and encourage exercise, schools need to make physical education as much a priority as other basic life skills, and the medical community needs to jump in and point out the obvious. Patients don’t like to acknowledge that they are overweight, let alone obese, but ignoring the problem will not make it go away. It’s time for the village to step up and combat this chronic problem, not only for the health of its individuals, but to unburden the overloaded health care system from diabetes, heart disease, and resultant illnesses. We can save lives and money in the process.
By Susan Brady
Published: Thursday, 15 April 2010 in Health News at http://www.healthnews.com/nutrition-diet/daily-diet-new-report-on-obesity-and-health-care-4189.html
