Being overweight or obese is a physical image issue. More importantly, it is a matter of health, raising an individual’s risk for serious health conditions. Obesity is a driver of several chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes (T2DM), hypertension (HTN), cardiovascular disease (CVD), chronic respiratory diseases, stroke, metabolic syndromes, and cancer. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports these non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are responsible for nearly 70% of deaths globally (WHO, 2016).
In 2013, the American Medical Association (AMA) announced its new policy defining obesity as a disease (AMA, 2013). The obesity epidemic results in both health and financial hardship for many individuals. As of 2014, 32.8% of adults (≥ 20 years …show more content…
This provision protects against employers’ health care plans, along with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), from discriminating against individuals with pre-existing medical conditions, specifically T2DM as well as other NCDs that have a direct link to obesity. This opportunity guarantees those individuals with obesity and the NCDs in association adequate health care for not only the medical management, but for nutritional counseling, anti-obesity drugs, and bariatric surgery to assist with the treatment of obesity. As a result, this ACA provision provides a legal foundation to endorse health care coverage expansion as well as a broader understanding of obesity management and prevention.
Bariatric surgery is increasing in popularity for obesity management. It first entered the U.S. health care system as a medical treatment for the obese individual in the 1960’s with the jejunoileal bypass (JIB) (Singh, Clarkston, & Allen, 2009). Over the decades bariatric surgery has evolved to a specialty of medicine, offering a variety of bariatric procedures to achieve long-term weight loss and medical management of obesity. Bariatric procedures are financially supported by the U.S. government, covered through public and private health insurers, and found medically sound in the medical industry as a …show more content…
Before surgery an obese individual might be experiencing low self-esteem, feelings of inadequacy, lack of control in life, anger, anxiety, depression, and loneliness. After surgery there is a feeling of increase in quality of life. As the individual experiences weight loss he also presents with improvements in self-esteem, depressive symptoms, eating behaviors, body image, and self-concept. The individual has a better sense of control in his life. However, not all individuals who undergo bariatric surgery experience these positive changes. Some are not able to lose the weight or they regain any weight lost. An individual might not be able to work through the psychological issues they encountered prior to surgery, and lifestyle behaviors continue to encourage weight gain. An individual may then experience those same self-defeating feelings as prior to bariatric surgery. Bariatric surgery is a life altering decision, one to be made with thoughtful consideration and as much knowledge as possible.
From a health care management perspective, the issue of obesity is also a critical topic. Health care providers and administrators must determine best practices for health care delivery for this complex situation. The health care executive needs to be mindful of the actual treatment of the bariatric individual and these surgical procedures, as well as a clear
In 2013, the American Medical Association (AMA) announced its new policy defining obesity as a disease (AMA, 2013). The obesity epidemic results in both health and financial hardship for many individuals. As of 2014, 32.8% of adults (≥ 20 years …show more content…
This provision protects against employers’ health care plans, along with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), from discriminating against individuals with pre-existing medical conditions, specifically T2DM as well as other NCDs that have a direct link to obesity. This opportunity guarantees those individuals with obesity and the NCDs in association adequate health care for not only the medical management, but for nutritional counseling, anti-obesity drugs, and bariatric surgery to assist with the treatment of obesity. As a result, this ACA provision provides a legal foundation to endorse health care coverage expansion as well as a broader understanding of obesity management and prevention.
Bariatric surgery is increasing in popularity for obesity management. It first entered the U.S. health care system as a medical treatment for the obese individual in the 1960’s with the jejunoileal bypass (JIB) (Singh, Clarkston, & Allen, 2009). Over the decades bariatric surgery has evolved to a specialty of medicine, offering a variety of bariatric procedures to achieve long-term weight loss and medical management of obesity. Bariatric procedures are financially supported by the U.S. government, covered through public and private health insurers, and found medically sound in the medical industry as a …show more content…
Before surgery an obese individual might be experiencing low self-esteem, feelings of inadequacy, lack of control in life, anger, anxiety, depression, and loneliness. After surgery there is a feeling of increase in quality of life. As the individual experiences weight loss he also presents with improvements in self-esteem, depressive symptoms, eating behaviors, body image, and self-concept. The individual has a better sense of control in his life. However, not all individuals who undergo bariatric surgery experience these positive changes. Some are not able to lose the weight or they regain any weight lost. An individual might not be able to work through the psychological issues they encountered prior to surgery, and lifestyle behaviors continue to encourage weight gain. An individual may then experience those same self-defeating feelings as prior to bariatric surgery. Bariatric surgery is a life altering decision, one to be made with thoughtful consideration and as much knowledge as possible.
From a health care management perspective, the issue of obesity is also a critical topic. Health care providers and administrators must determine best practices for health care delivery for this complex situation. The health care executive needs to be mindful of the actual treatment of the bariatric individual and these surgical procedures, as well as a clear