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Dear Editor:
To see just how many people are affected by the obesity epidemic, take a look at the numbers.
The World Health Organization states that worldwide obesity has nearly tripled since 1975. In 2016, more than 1.9 billion adults, 18 years and older, were overweight. Of these, over 650 million were obese.
Right here in our own country, the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that over 93 million American adults are considered obese, while the rates for children and adolescents aged 2 to 19 is equally bleak with 13.7 million considered obese. The statistics in Indiana are no better – a third of Hoosiers are considered obese, and two-thirds are considered overweight.
Why does this matter? Because today we know that obesity is closely associated with increased risk of disease such as heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and even certain types of cancer. Stopping the obesity epidemic would mean saving lives and living longer, healthier lives.
Obesity is taking a serious toll on our nation in other ways as well. Obesity is a public health crisis that strains our nation’s economy. The CDC estimates that the annual cost of obesity in the United States is a staggering $147 billion, with obese patients accruing almost $1,400 more in health care costs than Americans with a healthy weight. Medicare and Medicaid patients specifically cost $61.8 billion per year! In Indiana, those costs in healthcare and lost productivity are estimated at $8.5 billion per year, according to the Richard H. Fairbanks Foundation.
The substantial negative impact of obesity is therefore manifested in increased risk of disability, poor health, obesity-related depression and higher health care costs. The longer a person is obese, the more significant these factors become and so the prevention and treatment of this condition is extremely important.
Far too often, our leaders in Washington avoid addressing issues that impact us each and every day. It’s time to address this epidemic, and thankfully a group of bipartisan legislators have done just that. The Treat and Reduce Obesity Act (TROA) of 2019 was introduced into the 116th Congress by a bipartisan group of Representatives and Senators, and now includes Indiana’s own Rep. Susan Brooks and Sen. Todd Young as cosponsors. To date, the bill has acquired over 100 bipartisan cosponsors in the House and 13 bipartisan cosponsors in the Senate. It’s the type of collaborative solution we need more of in Washington.
The bill takes on the obesity problem in America by providing the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) with the authority to provide beneficiaries with the tools to manage weight and treat obesity. It also expands benefits to include behavioral counseling from qualified health care providers and allows Medicare Part D coverage to include FDA-approved drugs for chronic weight management.
As our population ages, it is imperative that we look into long term, permanent health care solutions such as this common-sense legislation because the benefits would be significant. First, seniors who have faithfully paid into the system would directly benefit from necessary care and treatment, thereby reducing the risk of experiencing other serious obesity-related diseases. Secondly, the bill will save taxpayer money in the long run.
By investing in preventive care, we will see a cost reduction which is critically important as Medicare faces insolvency by 2026 – three years earlier than expected.
Ultimately, this bill is about ensuring our seniors have access to the quality health care they need and we urge members of Congress to join in this bipartisan effort to solve a real problem, facing real Americans.
Peter Cummings, M.Sc., M.D.
Peter Cummings is a Forensic Pathologist and Neuropathologist and former Assistant Professor of Anatomy and Neurobiology at the Boston University School of Medicine. He is an expert in functional movement and sports nutrition and a member of the Indiana-based American College of Sports Medicine.