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THE OBESITY EPIDEMIC IN WEST VIRGINIA
Individuals suffering from obesity Projected Obesity‐Attributable Health Care Spending (in millions of
are more likely to become dollars) if Current Obesity Trends Continue7
disabled or to die prematurely
$400,000
than non‐obese individuals.1
Unfortunately, the problem of
obesity in America is only getting $350,000
worse – in 1991, no state had an $343,866
obesity rate over 20%; today,
more than two‐third of states $300,000
have adult obesity rates above
25%.2 The average American is
now roughly 23 pounds $250,000
overweight.3
$200,000
According to the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention’s
(CDC) 2009 report, obesity in the
$150,000
United States is responsible for $139,132
$147 billion in direct medical
expenses, totaling 9% of all $100,000
medical costs.4 On average,
$79,438
obese individuals spend $1,500
more per year in health related $50,000
costs than non‐obese individuals
do.5
$0
RECENT STATE AND FEDERAL LAWS COMBATING OBESITY
1. Posting Nutritional Content:
‐ By March 2011, the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) must
publish regulations requiring all chain restaurants, which have 20 or more
locations operating under the same name, to disclose the nutritional content
of all menu items. ACA requires that all menus disclose the number of
calories for each menu item and include a statement regarding the
suggested daily caloric intake.
2. Wellness Discounts for Employees
The Patient
‐ Starting January 1, 2014, ACA permits group health plans to give reductions
Protection and
of up to 30% of the cost of premiums to employees who participate in
Affordable Care
wellness programs, which includes employees who refrain from smoking,
Act (ACA)12 ‐
maintain a healthy weight, and keep their blood pressure and cholesterol
Federal
levels low. The Secretary of HHS may expand the reductions to 50%.
3. Prevention and Public Health Fund
‐ ACA creates a Health Fund to fund preventive and public health initiatives.
On June 18, 2010 HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced that "$126
million will support prevention initiatives; the integration of primary care
services into publicly funded community‐based behavioral health settings;
obesity prevention and fitness; and tobacco cessation."13
4. Prevention Council
Issue Area, Obesity: West Virginia Page 2 of 3
National Coalition on Health Care July 2010
‐ ACA establishes the National Prevention, Health Promotion and Public
Health Council (“The Council”). The Council will coordinate prevention,
wellness, and health promotion practices at the federal level and issue
recommendations to the President and Congress regarding their views on
the most pressing obstacles to reducing sedentary lifestyles and poor
nutrition.
1
Stephen Reinberg, The Cost of Obesity (2009), available at http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Healthday/story?id=8184975&page=1 (last
accessed July 2010).
2
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, Study Shows Obesity Rates Still Rising, LAS VEGAS SUN, July 3, 2010, available at
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/jul/03/study‐shows‐obesity‐rates‐still‐rising/ (last accessed July 2010).
3
Reinberg, supra note 1.
4
Ibid.
5
Ibid.
6
UNITED HEALTH FOUND., AMERICAN HEALTH RANKINGS (2009), available at http://www.americashealthrankings.org/2009/obesity/ECO.aspx
(last accessed June 2010).
7
UNITED HEALTH FOUND. ET AL., THE FUTURE COSTS OF OBESITY: NAT’L AND STATE ESTIMATES OF THE IMPACT OF OBESITY ON DIRECT HEALTH CARE EXPENSES 10
(2009), available at http://www.fightchronicdisease.org/pdfs/CostofObesityReport‐FINAL.pdf (last accessed July 2010).
8
Unless otherwise noted, the information found in this section is from: CTRS. FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION, OVERWEIGHT AND OBESITY:
WEST VIRGINIA (2009), available at http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/stateprograms/fundedstates/west_virginia.html (last accessed July 2010).
9
TRUST FOR AMERICA’S HEALTH, NEWS REPORT: WEST VIRGINIA RANKS FOURTH MOST OBESE STATE IN THE NATION (2010), available at
http://healthyamericans.org/reports/obesity2010/release.php?stateid=WV (last accessed July 2010).
10
Ibid. A person is considered “overweight” if his/her body mass index (BMI) is between the 85th and 94th percentile for his/her age;
“obese” is defined as an individual having a BMI above the 94th percentile. In BMI terms, “obese” is defined as having a body mass
index (BMI) between 30.0 and 99.8, while “overweight” is defined as having a BMI between 25.0 and 29.9.
11
TRUST FOR AMERICA’S HEALTH, supra note 9.
12
Unless otherwise noted, the information found in this section is from: MERCEDES VARASTEH DORDESKI, AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION SAVES A POUND
OF CURE: A SUMMARY OF PPACA’S WELLNESS AND PREVENTION REFORMS, (2010), available at
http://www.abanet.org/health/esource/Volume6/09/Dordeski.html (last accessed June 2010).
13
U.S. DEP'T OF HEALTH AND HUMAN RESOURCES, Sebelius Announces New $250 Million Investment to Lay Foundation for Prevention and Public
Health (June 18, 2010), available at http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2010pres/06/20100618g.html (last accessed June 2010).
Issue Area, Obesity: West Virginia Page 3 of 3
National Coalition on Health Care July 2010