Kevin Eberly's Blog | Confronting America's Obesity Epidemic

We spend the majority of our time at the workplace—at least eight hours a day. Most of us are glued to our chairs, have some sort of caffeine beverage within reach, and keep a secret stash of candy, chips, or pretzels to comfort us when we push our stress threshold. Case in point, we’re obese.

The cure to America’s obesity problem starts with building a healthy workplace. It’s where we develop most of our eating habits—healthy or unhealthy—and we take these habits home with us. As an executive of a company, you have the power to encourage healthier habits. Here’s how you can trade in a no. 2 cheeseburger with a side of fries combo for a healthy workplace combo with a side of extra productivity.

Stock the break room with healthy snacks. A break room filled with cookies, doughnuts, and chips won’t do your employees’ health any good, and it affects more than their waistlines. Fattening and sugary foods often come with a crash, which could be why eyes start glazing over in those late afternoon meetings. It’s time companies trash the junk and offer healthier snacking alternatives like fruits, nuts, nutrition bars, and even baked chips. The couple extra bucks you spend on healthier snacks could save you thousands of dollars in medical costs.

Encourage movement. The most recent buzz in the news is that sitting is the new smoking. New research shows spending too much time in a chair can increase your risk of heart disease, obesity, and diabetes. Encourage your employees to really take a whole hour for lunch and to use a portion of that time to be on their feet. Even better, next time you have a meeting with just one or two people, take it outside and make it a walking meeting.

Be a role model. Setting a good example can make all the difference. Healthy living is a domino effect. If one person leads, others are likely to follow. Sometimes it’s just about taking that first step.

Offer wellness programs. Some employees may require professional help to achieve better health. An employee will be more inclined to participate in these programs if their company covers at least part of the cost. However, it’s important to invest in a program with proven results. The Center for Medical Weight Loss comes with a weight loss guarantee. Physicians are specifically trained to coach, mentor, and motivate patients struggling with weight. Providing employees with discounts to health clubs is an obvious and good incentive, but it’s not compelling enough for everyone. A program like CMWL keeps employees on top of their weight loss plan because the program requires meeting with a physician regularly.

Have fun. A fun workplace is a healthy workplace. Laughter and a positive attitude go a long way. When workers genuinely enjoy what they are doing, they are more productive, creative, and feel less stressed. You can have fun and get a lot of work done too!

Your primary care physician is the first person you turn to if you have a health-related concern. You put trust in your physician to guide you in the direction to better health and trust he or she has confidence to do so.

One chronic condition many primary care physicians are not confident in treating: obesity.

A recent survey, published in BMJ Open, found only 44 percent of primary care physicians reported success in helping obese patients lose weight. This low percentage may come as a shock to you, but it doesn’t surprise CMWL’s chief medical officer Dr. Michael Kaplan. He tells me it’s training you just don’t get in medical school, and you learn more about malaria than obesity. Ironically, he’s never had to treat malaria, but he has seen countless obesity cases.

Why is this a problem? Think of primary care physicians as defensive linemen—the first line of defense. They’re the first people to see the play unfold and determine the actions necessary to stop the offense from advancing and reduce the number of yards gained. Primary care physicians are usually the first people exposed to a patient at risk for obesity, and the sooner it is acknowledged, the sooner steps are taken to treat it, resulting in fewer long-term health issues.

When it comes to treating obesity, many doctors feel underequipped, unprepared, uncomfortable, or a combination of three. However, I was surprised to find, as the survey indicated, that the majority of physicians believe obesity screening should be a routine part of a visit, and BMI should be included as a fifth vital sign.

This attitude, which 93 percent of primary care physicians surveyed supported, is promising. Doctors are starting to hear the noise that says they should be on the forefront of treating obesity. It’s a chronic condition that needs to be treated over time, and physicians are most qualified to do so.

Physicians recognize obesity as a problem and support regular screenings, but how do we boost their confidence? They need a toolbox.

CMWL equips physicians to be on the front line of preventative obesity medicine. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t believe it works. It’s not just my speculation, but science backs it up. A study published in the American Journal of Medicine found people enrolled in a 12-week, physician-led weight loss program lost an average of 28 pounds. It proves the positive effect physicians can have on a patient battling with weight issues.

Imagine how much smaller our healthcare costs would be if 100 percent of doctors felt confident in treating obesity; if 100 percent of doctors had the proper treatment platform and tools to help patients lose weight and manage weight loss over time. The dollars obesity is costing America warrants its own post. But what do you think? Should primary care physicians be more active in treating obesity?

A recent report projected 44 percent of Americans will be obese by 2030.

F for Fat: Obesity Threatens America's Future 2012

Think it couldn't possibly be that bad? Look at data from 1991; in almost every state less than 10 percent were obese. Now look at the data from 2011; in all 50 states more than 20 percent are obese. 

Here's how the predicted rates of obesity threaten our future:

• there will be 7.9 million new cases of diabetes, compared to 1.9 million new cases in recent years. 
• There could be 6.8 million new cases of chronic heart disease and stroke every year, compared with 1.3 million new cases per year now. 
• Today, obesity-related medical costs are $147 billion to $210 billion (out of total healthcare spending of $2.7 trillion). In the future, add $66 billion more in annual obesity costs.  

The projected rates support a study published earlier this year in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine that found that by 2030, 42 percent of U.S. adults could be obese, adding $550 billion to healthcare costs over that period.

This is a real problem, what can we do today to start fighting it? 

I’m the kind of manager who likes to solve problems. And not just any problems, but those that have significant impact on people’s lives and wellbeing.  It may be why I’ve spent half of my professional life addressing one of the biggest problems facing the country for the last quarter century: obesity.

Why obesity? Obesity has proven to be a problem that is the root cause of so many other problems that are putting the health of the United States (literally) in jeopardy. Here are some facts that we’ve probably all read at one point or another, but they bear repeating because we have reached a point where none of us can afford (literally) to ignore them:

PROBLEM: Healthcare costs make up close to 20 percent of the national GDP, and 75 percent of healthcare costs are related to the diagnosis and treatment of preventable diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension. The underlying cause of these diseases: obesity.

PROBLEM: Companies in the U.S. have faced staggering increases in healthcare costs, experiencing on average 12 percent in insurance premium rate hikes per year. The cost increases create severe challenges for companies to stay competitive in the global economy. What is cited as the reason for an estimated annual $73 billion in medical and lost productivity costs? Obesity.

PROBLEM: More than one-third of Americans can’t go a day without taking a medication to control a chronic condition, can’t walk without pain, can’t sleep without risking apnea, and can’t perform some of the most basic activities that enrich life’s experiences. What’s the cause? Obesity. And that number amounts to more than two-thirds of the population if we include people who are categorized as overweight.

In light of these statistics, which seem to keep going in the wrong direction, there must be a clear-cut solution, right? If only! But, being a problem solver at heart, I rely on hard data and facts to point me in the right direction. The statistics tell me that physicians hold the key to reversing these alarming trends. It’s the reason I am confident the physician-directed, non-surgical weight loss approach based on evidence will be the proven method for effectively managing long-term health and preventing obesity in those who currently are not affected.

The Center for Medical Weight Loss has been ahead of its time, with its participating physicians having successfully treated thousands of patients for the better part of the last decade. But it’s only recently that third parties have started to subscribe to its approach. These include:

• In January 2012 The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced coverage for physician-directed behavioral counselling for obese patients (those with a BMI of 30 or higher). Private insurers quickly followed suit.
• In May 2012 the US Preventive Service Task Force endorsed physician behavioral counselling for obesity.
• In June 2012, The American Journal of Medicine published a major study of Center for Medical Weight Loss physician-directed results, reporting clinical outcomes of an average 26 pounds lost, or 11.1 percent of total body weight lost, in 12 weeks among obese and overweight patients. 

And this is just the beginning. While we don’t purport to have all of the answers, we are confident we are onto something. But there are still much work to do and many complex issues to explore. That is why I invite you to join in the conversation and lend your voice to what you believe are sustainable solutions to effectively addressing the clinical condition of obesity. Starting today, I’ll be posting new research and commentary. I look forward to hearing from you!