We’re Paying a Fat Price
By M. Lynn Bedford Fears & Candi Smith
Kansas City is gaining a national reputation. Unfortunately, it’s for being one of the “fattest cities in the U.S.”
Obesity (which is having too much fat as opposed to being overweight which includes muscles, bone, fat and water) rates have drastically risen: in 1994, Missouri had obesity rate of around 17%, while in 2006 it was over 27%. “We are closely watching the rate of increase each year,” stated Donna Mehrle, Program Coordinator for the Missouri Nutrition and Physical Activity Program to Prevent Obesity and Chronic Diseases. “We know that it is going up, and we want to slow it.”
The rising obesity rate is due to many things including the American diet, which is high in fat and calories, and little or no exercise. Obesity can lead to heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and death. Not as well known is that obesity can also contribute to certain types of cancer, sleep apnea, breathing problems, social problems, discrimination and lowered self-esteem.
We know the personal costs of obesity but what about health care costs? In 2000, Surgeon General Dr. David Satcher said that costs related to obesity had reached $117 billion annually, encompassing visits to health care providers, insurance premiums, time lost at work due to illness and premature death. Missouri’s share in 2003 was $1.6 billion.
The American public ends up footing most of the bill through Medicare and Medicaid programs, about $39 billion a year or about $175 per person.
And most experts agree that there is no evidence that the gaining trend is slowing.
So, how do we change this “fat-friendly” culture?
“We do it slowly by working with food suppliers, parents and school districts to encourage healthier lifestyles and eating habits,” said Steve Aldana, PhD, and CEO of WellSteps, a consulting company specializing in wellness programs.
One encouragement is from a surprising source: the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The IRS defines obesity as a disease. When you file your tax return, include your treatment plan developed by your health care provider and you may be allowed to deduct weight management costs. (Check with your tax preparer to see if the deduction applies.)
The Missouri Council on Activity and Nutrition (MoCAN) developed the 2005 Healthy Missouri Initiative to help prevent obesity and chronic diseases. The Initiative workgroups developed model programs for schools, workplaces and communities to encourage physical activity and health nutrition.
Many programs are targeted at children through school lunch programs and physical education (PE). The Kansas City area “is very active with programs for children,” said Mehrle. Some programs unique to Kansas City are PE for Life, which encourages daily PE for all students; KC Healthy Kids, a non-profit organization dedicated to fit and healthy kids; and, Healthy Living Program by the Black Health Care Foundation, which is a comprehensive program designed to help youth change habits.
“Our program is a holistic wellness program,” said Reverend Shaun Hayes, Health Educator with the Black Health Care Foundation. Participants do not have to be obese to enroll in the free program just willing to adopt healthier habits. The 17-week program promotes physical activity, nutrition, and examining personal choices with the help of a life coach.
Why start with child-centric programs? Mehrle thinks one reason may be that by encouraging children to adopt healthy habits, the entire family will be influenced, which will have a greater impact overall.
Corporate America’s biggest threat to profitability is the rising cost of employee health care. Most of these health care costs are caused by preventable chronic diseases.
In 2006, businesses spent an average of $8,748 per employee, an increase of $518 from 2005, according to a Towers Perrin survey.
“Companies are always looking for ways to reduce employee-related expenses and many corporations and organizations are using health promotion programs as a reactionary effort to curtail ever-increasing, employee-related expenses of health care and lost productivity,” said Aldana.
American Century Investments has offered the Healthtrack Wellness Program to employees and their spouses since 1996 out of a concern for the health and well-being of employees. The wellness program includes two on-site fitness centers, wellness programs, classes and paid screenings – all under the guidance of six Saint Luke’s Health System employees.
“Our health care spending has been able to beat national health care spending trends every year since (starting the Healthtrack Wellness Program),” said Melissa Campbell, American Century’s Benefits Manager.
American Century is happy with their results to date in that “over 80% of our employee population remains low risk (having 2 or less health risk factors) and that 92.5% of the employees complete the annual HRQ (Health Risk Questionnaire),” said Candice Gwin, Healthtrack Wellness Program Coordinator .
At Williams Foods, Lynne Wilson is concentrating on behavioral changes. As Benefits Manager for more than 200 employees, Wilson works every month to bring health information front and center.
The company developed its own wellness program which has included a 12-week walking program, contests focused around health topics throughout the year, and a smoking cessation program that employees can use once every three years, if necessary. Wilson keeps the break room and employees’ paychecks full of healthy information.
William’s Foods’ strategy is to help employees achieve better health, and in turn, lower insurance costs for both the company and employees and to increase productivity .
“ We’ve had the program a couple of years and while I’ve seen some individual results — some people have lost weight, some have quit smoking — there’s not been much difference in the number of claims,” said Wilson. “I believe that the program needs to be in place three to five years to show those types of results.”
Wilson believes that the company will be persistent in its efforts to help their employees adopt healthy habits
“It’s a win-win,” Wilson said.
Look for more companies to begin adding wellness programs in the future, especially, since many companies are reporting a cost-benefit of worksite health promotion programs.
While managing one’s weight ultimately comes down to an individual effort, it becomes a public concern when excess fat increases health issues. Consider, more than a quarter of the population of Missouri is obese and spend approximate 36% more on health care than individuals of average weight. And, a pproximately half of that amount is paid by Medicare and Medicaid funded by taxpayers.
At this rate, can we afford the high price of fat?
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Kate Leisble and L.L. Locker contributed to this story.
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