|
Engaging the Healthcare System Did you know…
As rates of childhood overweight and obesity increase, the healthcare industry understands the need for action. Children are being diagnosed with a host of obesity-related health conditions previously seen exclusively in adults, such as type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. Obesity negatively impacts both the health of the child and that of the healthcare system due to the severe financial costs associated with the condition over the life of the diagnosed. Most importantly, while children may not represent a large portion of current healthcare costs, overweight children who become obese adults represent a staggering burden in terms of future healthcare expenditures. Tackling childhood obesity is the right thing to do both for the health of the child and the bottom line. The Role of the Healthcare System Healthcare providers, insurers and other industry representatives play critical roles in promoting healthy lifestyles for children. While the healthcare community is concerned about childhood obesity, most are not equipped to prevent, diagnose or treat it. Common barriers include lack of time, knowledge and reimbursement for providing appropriate counseling along with the limited availability of effective interventions. The About the Alliance's Healthcare Initaitive The Alliance Healthcare Initiative is a collaborative effort with national medical associations, leading insurers and employers to offer comprehensive health benefits to children and families for the prevention, assessment, and treatment of childhood obesity. Through this program, doctors will be reimbursed for bringing children back for follow-up visits and for working with them on the adoption of healthy behaviors. Registered dietitians will also be reimbursed for providing in-depth nutrition counseling over multiple visits to those children who are referred by their doctors. By working together, doctors and RDs will help children and their families adopt healthier eating habits to improve their health and weight. Participating companies will have access to materials and resources developed by the Alliance to inform parents about childhood obesity prevention and treatment. To learn more about the Alliance Healthcare Initiative and how you can get involved, please visit http://www.healthiergeneration.org/healthcareprofessionals.aspx. Join the Alliance’s Healthcare Initiative The The American Heart Association has many resources for healthcare professionals to help them identify and prevent childhood obesity:
Other Tools & Resources The American Heart Association has endorsed these Expert Committee Recommendations on the Assessment, Prevention and Treatment of Childhood and Adolescent Overweight and Obesity: Centers for Disease Control Body Mass Index Calculator for Children Ages 2-19 [1] Thompson and Medstat. “Childhood Obesity:Costs, Treatment Patterns and Disparities in Care.” (2006) [2] Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics – 2006 Update, American Heart Association. [3] Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics – 2006 Update, American Heart Association. |
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||
| | | ||
