Obesity/Chronic Disease Archives - Page 10 of 16

Obesity/Chronic Disease

Obesity is one of the nation’s most pressing health problems and is related to the growing number of Americans living with a chronic disease such as heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes. TFAH’s State of Obesity: Better Policies for a Healthier America report found that four in ten American adults have obesity, and those rates continue to climb nationwide and within population groups.

TFAH Comments on USDA School Nutrition Standards (January 2018)

Leading Public Health Groups: Using the Prevention Fund to help fund CHIP: A Serious Mistake

Statement from Trust for America’s Health, American Public Health Association, National Association of County and City Health Officials, Prevention Institute, and Public Health Institute

December 22, 2017

Washington, D.C., December 22, 2017 –It is a serious mistake to cut $750 million from the Prevention and Public Health Fund to provide very short-term funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and community health centers. The below is a statement from the American Public Health Association, National Association of County and City Health Officials, Prevention Institute, Public Health Institute, and Trust for America’s Health:

“The Prevention Fund supports critical public health activities—including lead poisoning surveillance, vaccination initiatives and other programs—in every state and community across the country. Cutting this significant funding source would leave communities without the vital resources needed to keep children and families happy, healthy and safe.

It is even more alarming and contradictory that this cut will be used to provide very short-term funding for CHIP and community health centers. Our organizations are united in support of CHIP and community health centers, which are vital to improving children’s health. But losing the Prevention Fund would just create another hole in the public health support children need.

The Prevention Fund is supported strongly by national, state and local groups alike—indeed to-date 1,142 have joined the Prevention Fund supporter’s list. They know the value of the $630 million annually that goes directly to states and communities to prevent illness and disease.

A strong public health system makes the difference between health and illness, safety and injury, life and death.

We urge Congress to oppose any and all future cuts to the Prevention Fund and to begin the long-overdue process of increasing support to CHIP, community health centers, CDC and other public health agencies so today’s children can be our healthiest and happiest generation.”

John Auerbach, President & CEO, Trust for America’s Health

Georges C. Benjamin, MD, Executive Director, American Public Health Association

Larry Cohen, Executive Director, Prevention Institute

Laura Hanen, MPP, Interim Executive Director and Chief of Government Affairs, National Association of County and City Health Officials

Mary A. Pittman, President & CEO, Public Health Institute

###

Trust for America’s Health is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to saving lives by protecting the health of every community and working to make disease prevention a national priority. www.healthyamericans.org

The American Public Health Association champions the health of all people and all communities. We strengthen the public health profession. We speak out for public health issues and policies backed by science. We are the only organization that combines a 145-year perspective, a broad-based member community and the ability to influence federal policy to improve the public’s health. Visit us at www.apha.org.

The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) represents the nation’s nearly 3,000 local governmental health departments. These city, county, metropolitan, district, and tribal departments work every day to protect and promote health and well-being for all people in their communities. For more information about NACCHO, please visit www.naccho.org.

The Public Health Institute, an independent nonprofit organization, is dedicated to promoting health, well-being and quality of life for people throughout California, across the nation and around the world.

Prevention Institute is an Oakland, California-based nonprofit research, policy, and action center that works nationally to promote prevention, health, and equity by fostering community and policy change so that all people live in healthy, safe environments.

National Youth Obesity Rate Holds Steady, New Data Show

Three out of 10 youth ages 10 to 17 are overweight or obese

Princeton, N.J., September 19, 2017—Roughly three out of 10 young people in the United States, 31.2 percent, are overweight or obese, according to the newest available data. Seven states—Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, North Dakota, Rhode Island, Tennessee, and West Virginia—have rates of overweight and obesity that exceed 35 percent. Only one state, Utah, has a rate under 20 percent.

The 2016 state-by-state rates for children and adolescents ages 10 to 17 were recently released on the Data Resource Center for Child and Adolescent Health (DRC) website (www.childhealthdata.org) and are reported at stateofobesity.org/children1017. This is the first update to this national data set since 2011-12.

The release of these new youth data follow the recent publication of the annual State of Obesity report by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and Trust for America’s Health (TFAH), which includes state-by-state adult obesity rates. Together, the two data sets show that obesity rates may be levelling off, but that progress could be eroded if policies are weakened or programs are cut.

At the time of the State of Obesity release in August, the leaders of RWJF and TFAH shared their perspectives:

Richard Besser, president and CEO of RWJF:

“Obesity rates are still far too high, but the progress we’ve seen in recent years is real and it’s encouraging. That progress could be easily undermined if leaders and policymakers at all levels don’t continue to prioritize efforts that help all Americans lead healthier lives.”

John Auerbach, president and CEO of TFAH:

“It’s clear that the progress we’ve made in fighting obesity is fragile—and that we’re at a critical juncture where continuation of the policies that show promise and increased support and resources could truly help bend the rising tide of obesity rates. We’re far from out of the woods when it comes to obesity. But we have many reasons to be optimistic thanks to parents, educators, business owners, health officials, and other local leaders. Our nation’s policymakers must follow their example to build a culture of health.”

To accelerate progress in addressing obesity, RWJF and TFAH urge policymakers to:

Invest in prevention at the federal, state and local levels, including full funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Prevention and Public Health Fund.
Prioritize early childhood policies and programs, including support for Head Start and the Child and Adult Care Food Program.
Maintain progress on school-based policies and programs, including full implementation of current nutrition standards for school foods.
Invest in community-based policies and programs, including nutrition assistance programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and transportation, housing, and community development policies and programs that support physical activity.
Fully implement menu labeling rules and the updated Nutrition Facts label.
Expand healthcare coverage and care, including continued Medicare and Medicaid coverage of the full range of obesity prevention, treatment, and management services.

The stateofobesity.org site provides a new feature examining relevant policies at the state level and an interactive feature reporting on the latest obesity rates by state. The DRC website, www.childhealthdata.org, enables visitors to examine youth obesity rates by race/ethnicity, household income, and other demographic factors, as well as other relevant variables, such as physical activity rates.

About the new youth data

The new overweight and obesity rates among 10- to 17-year-olds are from the 2016 edition of the National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH). The Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) funds and directs the NSCH, and develops survey content in collaboration with a national technical expert panel and the U.S. Census Bureau, which then conducts the survey. The NSCH uses parent reports of a child’s or adolescent’s height and weight to calculate body mass index.

The NSCH methods and sample size changed between 2011-12 and 2016, meaning it is not advisable to directly compare results across years. But the data do indicate a consistent stabilization in national and state rates of childhood overweight and obesity over the last decade. The NSCH is planned as an annual survey going forward, so these and other trends can be evaluated.

The Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative (CAHMI) at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health partners with MCHB in the design of the NSCH and analyzes and publishes state by state findings on its Data Resource Center for Child and Adolescent Health website, which is where the data reported here were obtained. RWJF and TFAH worked with CAHMI to announce the latest obesity rate data.

Overweight and Obesity Rate Among Youth Ages 10-17 by State, 2016

1. Tennessee	37.7	18. Georgia	32.2	35. Minnesota	27.7
2. North Dakota	37.1	19. Michigan	32	36. Colorado	27.2
3. Mississippi	37	20. New York	31.8	37. Virginia	27.2
4. Florida	36.6	21. New Jersey	31.7	38. Wyoming	27.1
5. Rhode Island	36.3	22. Pennsylvania	31.7	39. Illinois	27
6. Alabama	35.5	23. South Dakota	31.4	40. Arizona	26.9
7. West Virginia	35.1	24. California	31.2	41. Massachusetts	26.6
8. Louisiana	34	25. Delaware	30.9	42. Alaska	26.3
9. Arkansas	33.9	26. Kansas	30.9	43. Idaho	26
10. Indiana	33.9	27. North Carolina	30.9	44. Hawaii	25.5
11. District of Columbia	33.8	28. Nevada	30.5	45. Washington	25.5
12. Oklahoma	33.8	29. Connecticut	30.2	46. New Mexico	24.9
13. Maryland	33.6	30. Iowa	29.9	47. New Hampshire	23.8
14. Kentucky	33.5	31. Wisconsin	29.5	48. Montana	23.2
15. Texas	33.3	32. Missouri	29.4	49. Vermont	22.2
16. Ohio	33.1	33. Nebraska	29.2	50. Oregon	20.3
17. South Carolina	32.9	34. Maine	28.2	51. Utah	19.2

###

Trust for America‘s Health is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to saving lives by protecting the health of every community and working to make disease prevention a national priority.

For more than 40 years the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has worked to improve health and health care. We are striving to build a national Culture of Health that will enable all to live longer, healthier lives now and for generations to come. For more information, visit www.rwjf.org. Follow the Foundation on Twitter at www.rwjf.org/twitter or on Facebook at www.rwjf.org/facebook.

The State of Obesity 2017: Better Policies for a Healthier America

TFAH Comments on FDA Menu Labeling (August 2017)

Prevention and Public Health Fund Detailed Information

Trust for America’s Health Releases Issue Brief on Preventive Services

Washington, D.C., March 30, 2017 –Impact of the 2017 Health Reform Proposals on Clinical Preventive Services, released today by Trust for America’s Health (TFAH), reviews the current status of public and private insurance coverage of preventive services, and what would be at stake if they were eliminated or reduced, either through legislation or administrative actions.

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) expanded coverage of a range of effective, targeted preventive services to make them accessible to millions of Americans.

As of 2015, around 137 million private insured Americans received guaranteed preventive services without cost sharing. Small and individual insurances plans are required to cover 10 Essential Health Benefits, such as blood pressure screenings and well care visits, and non-grandfathered individual, small and large plans are required to cover evidence-based services with top effectiveness ratings, recommended vaccines and preventive maternal and child health coverage (Section 2713 Preventive Services).
The 14 million Americans covered via Medicaid expansion qualify for no-cost coverage of Essential Health Benefits, other top rated preventive services and tobacco cessation services. States determine coverage of preventive services for enrollees in traditional Medicaid plans.

“For too long, America has propped up a sick care system. Instead of prioritizing keeping people healthy in the first place, we’ve waited until they get sick—often with chronic, debilitating and expensive conditions—and then paid the price,” said John Auerbach, president and CEO, TFAH. “Research tells us time and again two truths: Americans with coverage of preventive services are more likely to access these services and investing in preventive services improves health and reduces costs, yielding massive returns on investment.”

According to the brief, a range of proposals could potentially lead to millions of Americans losing access to preventive services – either through reductions or changes in requirements or as part of losing health insurance coverage. Studies have shown that expanding coverage for preventive services contributes to an uptick in routine exams; screenings for blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes; use of flu shots; and annual dental exams. Examples of some outcomes of preventive services include:

Among the Medicaid population in Massachusetts, an evidence-based, Medicaid tobacco-cessation benefit was associated with a reduction in smoking rates and an estimated $3.12 in medical savings from averted cardiovascular hospitalizations alone for each dollar spent.
The Diabetes Prevention Program reduced risk for developing type-2 diabetes by 58 percent. Even after 10 years, people who completed the program were one-third less likely to develop type 2 diabetes.
Comprehensive prenatal maternal care helps reduce premature birth and infant mortality rates.
Vaccines prevented an estimated 322 million illnesses, 21 million hospitalizations and 732,000 deaths among children born in the U.S. between 1994 and 2013 – and yield a net savings of $295 billion in direct costs and $1.38 trillion in societal costs.

###

TFAH Statement: Strongly Opposed to the House Obamacare Replacement Bill

Washington, D.C., March 7, 2017 – The below is a statement from John Auerbach, president and CEO, of Trust for America’s Health (TFAH).

“We are strongly opposed to the House Obamacare Replacement bill, which would repeal significant portions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), including the Prevention and Public Health Fund.

Under this plan, millions of people could lose health insurance—a devastating blow to the health of many of our nation’s most vulnerable individuals and families. Without affordable insurance coverage we will see increased levels of preventable illnesses, injuries and deaths.

In addition, eliminating the Prevention Fund would erase 12 percent of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) budget. Of that investment, $625 million directly supports state and local public health efforts to fight preventable diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

Losing this funding would wreak havoc on our efforts to reduce chronic disease rates, immunize our children, stop the prescription drug and opioid epidemic and prepare the public health system to prevent infectious disease outbreaks.

We know how to prevent many chronic and infectious illnesses—which make up a significant portion of the $3 trillion the nation spends yearly on healthcare. If we lose access to health care coverage and to the Prevention Fund, our children, families and communities will suffer and ultimately costs will rise.

The bottom line? This Bill would make untold numbers of the American people less healthy.”

###

TFAH Statement on the Draft House Republican Obamacare Replacement Bill: Our Nation’s Health Will Suffer

Washington, D.C., February 24, 2017 – The below is a statement from John Auerbach, president and CEO, of Trust for America’s Health (TFAH).

“The draft House Republican Obamacare replacement bill—which would eliminate the Prevention and Public Health Fund—would threaten the health of American children, families and communities.

Thanks to the Prevention Fund, hundreds of thousands of Americans benefit from increased access to vaccines and other preventive health services. Quite simply, more people are getting and remaining healthy because of the Prevention Fund.

Yet, the proposed replacement bill would eliminate this important Fund and 12 percent of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) budget along with it.

And, without the Prevention Fund, states will lose substantial sums of money—totaling as much as $3 billion over the next 5 years—which fight growing epidemics and emerging diseases.

Every year, we spend $3 trillion on healthcare, yet millions suffer from chronic diseases and death rates among Blacks and other people of color remain too high. At the same time, death rates among white middle-aged Americans increased for the first time in decades, mainly due to preventable conditions.

Time and again research shows that the vast majority of these conditions—heart disease, diabetes and others—can be prevented by investing in addressing the root causes. Yet, the country has repeatedly failed to do so.

The nation cannot afford to trade away our single best investment in preventing disease, preparing for and responding to infectious disease outbreaks, reducing rates of chronic illness, and saving lives and money.

If this draft becomes law, our nation’s health will suffer—and it will be exponentially harder to fight growing epidemics, like the rise in prescription drug and heroin overdoses.”

###