CHARLESTON, WV – Body mass index (BMI) trainings conducted in the three largest West Virginia cities were so successful that sponsor UniCare will expand the trainings to other regions in 2008.
With the state’s Medicaid shelling out $145 million on obesity-related conditions in 2002-2003, the subsidiary of WellPoint believes the trainings are the “right investment, given what’s going on in society,” said Mitch Collins, regional director for UniCare.
Physicians were given BMI calculation wheels and BMI growth charts to help them evaluate patient risk.
Stephen Sondike, MD, director of the Adolescent Cardiovascular Health Program at West Virginia Physicians of Charleston, who conducted the continuing medical education trainings for UniCare, said the goal is to encourage primary care physicians to use BMI as part of their routine medical evaluations.
“The success of the program hinges mostly on demonstrating to practitioners that this is a time- and cost-friendly intervention to the typical practice – that addressing and intervening on weight issues early can prevent morbidities that would need to be intensively addressed later,” he said.
Sondike noted that once a patient has been identified as at risk, physicians can respond within the office setting.
“During the training sessions, we discuss strategies for prevention of weight gain in those at risk for obesity, as well as management strategies for those who are already overweight,” he said. “UniCare is using the obesity initiative to help healthcare providers work with clients on an individual level.”
“Anything that can be done on prevention is a good thing,” said Rich Hamburg, director of government relations for Trust for America’s Health, or TFAH, which has put out a report on obesity in the United States the last four years in a row.
According to TFAH’s report, more than 25 percent of the population in 19 states is obese. Fifteen years ago, no state had more than 20 percent obesity and only four were rated at more than 15 percent.
TFAH’s July survey showed that 85 percent of Americans believe obesity is an epidemic. “The real role for insurers and private industry is in workplace approaches and increasing coverage for preventive services,” Hamburg said.
While government should fund programs and institute public policy, he said, “We need more research in policy to find the highest ROI.”