News article: Treating adult obese population cost $303B in 2006

Friday, July 24, 2009 by Terri Hohlt
Another interesting read from the Advisory Board. Highlights are below:

Total health care expenditures for the nation’s obese adult population increased by more than 80 percent between 2001 and 2006 to reach $303.1 billion, according to a statistical brief from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Based on data from the agency’s Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, the report also found that mean annual health care expenditures for obese adults increased from $3,458 in 2001 to $5,148 in 2006 and that the proportion of total health care expenditures attributed to obese adults increased from 28.1 percent to 35.3 percent, while the proportion of spending attributed to normal-weight adults decreased from 35 percent to 30.3 percent.

According to the report, the number of obese adults—defined as individuals with a body mass index of or above 30—grew by almost 11 million between 2001 and 2006, rising from 48.2 million to 58.9 million people. In addition, in both 2001 and 2006, the country’s adult obese population had the highest proportion of individuals reporting at least one chronic condition—including diabetes, asthma, high blood pressure, ischemic heart disease, stroke, emphysema, and arthritis—at 57.1 percent and 59.7 percent, respectively.

...With the exception of Colorado—which had an obesity rate of 18.5 percent—all states in 2008 had obesity rates of at least 20 percent. Mississippi had the highest rate, at 32.8 percent, followed by Alabama, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia, which all had obesity rates of at least 30 percent. Illustrating the “dramatic increase” in the nation’s obese population, the CDC highlighted data from a 1990 survey indicating that at that time, no states had an obesity rate of 15 percent or higher.

Noting that obesity is a major risk factor for several chronic diseases, the director of the CDC’s division of nutrition, physical activity, and obesity says that “among all age groups, we are seeing chronic diseases in much younger adults compared to a few decades ago,” adding that some young adults now suffer from risk factors for heart disease and type 2 diabetes, conditions that were “unheard of in the past.”

Are you ready to break the cycle of failed weight loss plans and finally experience sustainable and effective weight loss through the use of bariatric surgery? Then join us at a FREE informational seminar in Indianapolis or at other locations throughout Indiana. We are here to help you. Click on the image at the right of this post to view upcoming dates and to get registered.

OAC Offers Free Guide for those Seeking Weight-Loss Surgery

Tuesday, March 17, 2009 by Andy Pollen
I was reading the March newsletter from the Obesity Action Coalition (OAC) and found this great - FREE - resource for patients. It is described below: 

Seeking approval for weight-loss surgery can be a difficult process. Often times, patients are denied by their insurance company on the first try and subsequent appeals and efforts can be frustrating and time consuming.To help patients through this process, the OAC developed the Working with Your Insurance Provider: A Guide to Seeking Weight-Loss Surgery guide.

The guide is designed to provide individuals with the knowledge needed to successfully work with their insurance provider and become an advocate for change. It offers readers information discussing the effects of obesity and morbid obesity, tips for working with your insurance provider, detailed information concerning the treatment options available for morbid obesity and much more.


To view and order this guide free-of-charge, please click here. If you have additional questions, feel free to call us at Clarian Bariatrics at 317-275-7010 or to join us at a FREE informational seminar where you can ask any question you have about bariatric surgery costs, the insurance approval process, Indianapolis bariatric weight loss and what leads to effective weight loss surgery outcomes.

More information on dates and times for these events can be found by clicking on the image at the top right of this Web page.