Americans are more overweight than ever. To put it politely, they weigh in heavily compared to their non-American counterparts around the globe.
Obesity, as a chronic condition, has raised concerns from the one doctor charged with maintaining the health of the American people.
U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher recently reported that 61 percent of Americans are overweight or obese, placing over half of all Americans at a higher risk for heart disease, type II diabetes, colon cancer, breast cancer, asthma and other potentially deadly diseases.
Satcher is charting a plan of action to confront the condition that kills 300,000 Americans each year.
The National Institutes of Health recently released federal guidelines outlining the identification and treatment of obesity, which aims to help people accurately evaluate their level of health and decide whether to, for example, alter their diet or exercise more frequently.
In a recent National Public Radio interview, Satcher described obesity as a societal issue that officials may need to address through prevention and education efforts similar to those associated with anti-tobacco initiatives.
Who should fund education and prevention efforts, however, remains a heated issue among healthcare professionals battling over whether obesity classifies as a valid health insurance claim or tax deductible.
Last year, the Internal Revenue Service included weight loss programs as tax-deductible medical expenses, a move which organizations such as the American Obesity Society petitioned for heavily. Tax-deductible weight loss treatments now include behavioral and nutritional counseling, as well as prescription drugs and surgery, perhaps signaling the direction the issue will take in the future.
Anne Wolf, a University health sciences evaluation dietician, is working to assess the economic impact of obesity in America along with other University researchers.
"It's an epidemic we have to do something about - if we don't, it will just keep growing," Wolf said.
Their research reveals that Americans spend $51 billion annually on diseases related to obesity.
"That's a lot of money. It's even more than the [annual] cost of heart diseases," she said.
According to Wolf, their research also shows that exercising and improving dietary intake can cause a 5 to 7 percent weight loss in clinically obese patients.
The NIH has determined that such weight loss can reduce the risk of diabetes in obese patients by 58 percent.
Other treatments for obesity include prescription drugs and surgery. The most effective drugs can reduce weight by up to 10 percent, while surgery can reduce body weight by one third.
Such treatments, however, often are expensive and therefore inaccessible to the majority of patients suffering from obesity.
Policymakers now are examining the cost-effectiveness of various treatments in order to make educated decisions about health insurance and taxation laws.
Wolf and other researchers hope policymakers will invest in obesity research, potentially saving Americans billions of dollars.
"What policymakers need to know is that research for treatments will be cost-effective in the long run," Wolf said.
Fourth-year College student Joleen Okun is writing her honors thesis on the public's perception of obesity and how policymakers should respond. Okun said she believes lawmakers see obesity purely as an individual behavioral issue.
"Obese people are more likely to suffer from severe depression and self-blame or guilt which can perpetuate their problem," Okun said.
But researchers have yet to prove a direct relationship exists between obesity and a patient's psychological condition.
Read More
U.Va. loses over $60 million in federal research cuts
By Bertie Azqueta | 18 hours agoThe impacted grants include three from the NIH, seven from the NEH, one from the United States Agency for International Development and four from the State Department.
Department of Education reverses course, awards Federal Executive Institute to U.Va.
By Ford McCracken | 3 days agoThe ED had previously awarded the institute to Charlottesville City Schools.
Students reflect on the life and legacy of Pope Francis
By Bertie Azqueta | 4 days agoAt the University, students shared a range of perspectives on his legacy of reform, inclusivity and his impact on the global Catholic community.
