Employers’ Critical Role in the Fight against Obesity | Sessions

According to the CDC, the U.S. obesity rate was 41.9% as of March 2020. Current projections have this rising to half of all Americans within the next 8 years.  Health experts have declared this a public health crisis, but employers have been slow to recognize their role in fighting this costly chronic disease.

Obesity-related comorbidities including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke and certain types of cancer add significant cost to health plans. The estimated annual medical cost of obesity in the United States was $248 billion in 2020.  The cost of diabetes alone accounts for approximately 1 in 4 health care dollars spent. 

Science has debunked the stigma of obesity being a personal failing of the individual similar to its disproving that substance abuse could be overcome by just saying no.  Today there are several therapies and treatment options that have proven effective in preventing and/or reversing obesity, but outdated mores and coverage protocols stand in the way of patients’ access to improved health. 

Employers play a critical role in the health of Americans.  Approximately half of the country gets their health coverage through an employer related plan.  Any meaningful inroads into the fight against obesity will necessarily require employers to play a leading role.

This webcast will explore the role an employer can play in the fight against obesity and discuss tangible steps for them to consider in reducing obesity rates as well as lowering their overall long term health costs.

Learning Objectives:

• The scope of the crisis caused by the obesity epidemic
• The array of new treatment options
• The importance of access to preventive care including behavioral counseling, medications and nutritional therapy in addition to invasive bariatric surgery
• The disproportionate impact obesity has on communities of color
• The importance of chronic disease de-stigmatization around obesity