The Mayo Clinic recently held its 4th Annual “Action on Obesity” Summit in Rochester, Minnesota. I was excited to be invited there to share about the upcoming movie “2 Angry Moms.” Lucky for me, my presentation was at the end of the first day, so I was able to get a taste of where this group was coming from…

 

There were lots of presentations about BMI (body mass index). When and how should we measure this (in school or at the doctors office?) along with privacy issues (HIPPA regulations) and sensitivity issues ( kids can be really mean). The upshot is we are tiptoeing around the whole BMI issue because we're afraid of hurting people's feelings. One benefit of BMI is that researchers can get funding and then show measurable outcomes.  The Governor of Minnesota wants to decrease obesity by 50% in his state by the year 2010, but how can you decrease obesity by 50% when you don't know exactly how much obesity is out there? BMI gives an indication of how much obesity currently exists.

 

Here's some irony: health insurance does not cover nutritional counseling for overweight/ obese people, but it does cover bariatric surgery (cost = $90,000). The real costs of bariatric surgery are even greater, with many patients suffering from severe malnutrition, osteoporosis and other complications.

 

It's clearly easier to prevent obesity than it is to treat it. We could effectively prevent obesity and decrease existing obesity by giving kids better food in school. Sounds simple, right?  Lose the chips, the fries and the candy; replace it with real food that tastes great. That would cost money, and right now we still value money more than we do health. It comes down to pay now or pay later—I prefer to pay now.

 

In ancient China, the healers were paid when the emperors and townspeople were healthy. If the masses became sick, the healers were not paid until they regained their health. It was in the best interests of the healers to keep the people healthy so that they were paid. Our "healthcare system" has become a disease maintenance business. Our healers are paid only when we are sick—no real value is put on prevention. The system is coming close to collapsing as more and more of us become sicker and fatter.

 

We're going to have to think out of the box to heal ourselves and our kids. Making better food a priority at home and at school is a key first step. Pay your farmer or your doctor; it's your choice.

 

 

Recent Info on Obesity, BMI and Healthcare Costs: