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Obesity Discussion · 12-29-06, 03:29 PM

Policies to fight obesity favored

BY ADAM PLAYFORD, The Herald-Sun
December 28, 2006 11:36 pm

DURHAM -- Americans are overwhelmingly in favor of government and employers adopting new measures to fight obesity, according to a nationwide survey conducted in 2004 by a Duke Medical Center researcher.
In the poll, 85 percent of respondents agreed employers should be given tax breaks for providing exercise facilities in the workplace and 72 percent said employers or health care companies should give discounts to workers who stay at a healthy weight.
Seventy-three percent said they favor having the government require insurance companies to cover obesity treatment and prevention.
"What we found that was surprising about the study was how much support there is in the population for employer and health care policy aimed at preventing obesity," said Bernard Fuemmeler, one of the survey's authors and an assistant professor in the department of community and family medicine.
The findings will be published in the January issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. The researchers used random-digit dialing to poll 1,139 people by telephone in September 2004.
"This snapshot of public opinion is reflecting a change in people's attitudes," Fuemmeler said. "It's reflecting this idea that obesity is something that's not just left to the individual -- that society needs to help out."
Just a few days earlier, researchers from the Duke Prostate Center -- working with the American Cancer Society -- reported that losing weight reduces men's chances of getting aggressive prostate cancer.
That study tracked nearly 70,000 men over a decade and found that those who lost 11 pounds or more in that period were 40 percent less likely to develop one form of prostate cancer.
Sixty-one percent of adults in North Carolina are overweight or obese, according to the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina -- which is based in Chapel Hill and is the state's largest health insurer -- already covers obesity as a primary condition, and was the first insurer in the country to do so, spokeswoman Heidi Deja said.
"We know that people want to do the right thing when it comes to diet and exercise, and sometimes, they just need a little help getting started," Deja said.
But for smaller businesses, providing these services for employees might be easier said than done.
Tom Campbell, co-owner of the Regulator Bookshop on Ninth Street, said he doesn't have room for exercise space in his store.
"We can maybe put an exercise bike in the storage area," he said, laughing.
He said, however, that if the government were to offer tax cuts for businesses that help pay for their employees' memberships at local gyms, that might be possible for small businesses like his.
Likewise, he said he could see the Regulator offering health care discounts for employees who stay at a healthy weight -- but only if health insurance companies went along.
"The cost to businesses right now of health insurance is just going up so dramatically that it's more and more difficult to supply health insurance to people, and if we're going to absorb more of that cost ..." Campbell said.
"That would be a great thing to partnership," he added. "If the health insurance companies would do some, we could do some."
Ted Conner, the vice president for economic development of the Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce, said it's important for companies to support their employees' health, but he thinks it'd be hard for most smaller companies to support some of the measures the poll found support for.
A program offering incentives for maintaining a healthy weight, for example, might pose logistical challenges, Conner noted.
"Can you imagine how to figure out how to weigh your cumulative staff?" he said. "Boy, that would be a challenge."
Fuemmeler's study also measured perceptions about obesity's causes. Seventy-eight percent of respondents believed that a lack of willpower is to blame for obesity. Seventy-three percent said that the cost of healthy food is part of the problem. Only 47 percent believed that obesity is caused by society.

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12-29-06, 03:29 PM	#1 (permalink)
Obesity Discussion Administrator Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 7,815 Weight Statistics 8/1/2006 Start Date: 185 lb Start Weight: 152 lb Current Weight: 155 lb Goal Weight: -33 lb Weight Loss: 5/1/2007 Goal Date:	Policies to fight obesity favored Policies to fight obesity favored BY ADAM PLAYFORD, The Herald-Sun December 28, 2006 11:36 pm DURHAM -- Americans are overwhelmingly in favor of government and employers adopting new measures to fight obesity, according to a nationwide survey conducted in 2004 by a Duke Medical Center researcher. In the poll, 85 percent of respondents agreed employers should be given tax breaks for providing exercise facilities in the workplace and 72 percent said employers or health care companies should give discounts to workers who stay at a healthy weight. Seventy-three percent said they favor having the government require insurance companies to cover obesity treatment and prevention. "What we found that was surprising about the study was how much support there is in the population for employer and health care policy aimed at preventing obesity," said Bernard Fuemmeler, one of the survey's authors and an assistant professor in the department of community and family medicine. The findings will be published in the January issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. The researchers used random-digit dialing to poll 1,139 people by telephone in September 2004. "This snapshot of public opinion is reflecting a change in people's attitudes," Fuemmeler said. "It's reflecting this idea that obesity is something that's not just left to the individual -- that society needs to help out." Just a few days earlier, researchers from the Duke Prostate Center -- working with the American Cancer Society -- reported that losing weight reduces men's chances of getting aggressive prostate cancer. That study tracked nearly 70,000 men over a decade and found that those who lost 11 pounds or more in that period were 40 percent less likely to develop one form of prostate cancer. Sixty-one percent of adults in North Carolina are overweight or obese, according to the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina -- which is based in Chapel Hill and is the state's largest health insurer -- already covers obesity as a primary condition, and was the first insurer in the country to do so, spokeswoman Heidi Deja said. "We know that people want to do the right thing when it comes to diet and exercise, and sometimes, they just need a little help getting started," Deja said. But for smaller businesses, providing these services for employees might be easier said than done. Tom Campbell, co-owner of the Regulator Bookshop on Ninth Street, said he doesn't have room for exercise space in his store. "We can maybe put an exercise bike in the storage area," he said, laughing. He said, however, that if the government were to offer tax cuts for businesses that help pay for their employees' memberships at local gyms, that might be possible for small businesses like his. Likewise, he said he could see the Regulator offering health care discounts for employees who stay at a healthy weight -- but only if health insurance companies went along. "The cost to businesses right now of health insurance is just going up so dramatically that it's more and more difficult to supply health insurance to people, and if we're going to absorb more of that cost ..." Campbell said. "That would be a great thing to partnership," he added. "If the health insurance companies would do some, we could do some." Ted Conner, the vice president for economic development of the Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce, said it's important for companies to support their employees' health, but he thinks it'd be hard for most smaller companies to support some of the measures the poll found support for. A program offering incentives for maintaining a healthy weight, for example, might pose logistical challenges, Conner noted. "Can you imagine how to figure out how to weigh your cumulative staff?" he said. "Boy, that would be a challenge." Fuemmeler's study also measured perceptions about obesity's causes. Seventy-eight percent of respondents believed that a lack of willpower is to blame for obesity. Seventy-three percent said that the cost of healthy food is part of the problem. Only 47 percent believed that obesity is caused by society. [FONT='Times New Roman',serif]Obesity and exercise[/font] [FONT='Times New Roman',serif][/font] __________________