It’s a disturbing sign of the times that doctors soon will be able to earn certification in obesity management.
USA Today reports that the Obesity Society, the American Diabetes Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics and other groups are combining to create the certification. Doctors will be required to pass tests relating to nutrition, exercise and psychology. In announcing the partnership and certification development, the society cited the 66 percent of adults and 32 percent of youth who are overweight or obese.
Some will no doubt criticize the move as a way for doctors to get more money out of consumers and insurance companies. And yet there’s no way to avoid the reality that the growing obesity epidemic among adults and children contributes to rising health care costs. The severely overweight and obese are susceptible to and suffer from more ailments. Unfortunately, Oklahoma’s a case study.
A recent national report found that Oklahoma has the sixth-highest rate of obese adults. The news wasn’t quite so bad for the 10- to 17-year-old group, which ranked 33rd. State health officials have warned that those statistics are partly why the state has such a high incidence of diabetes and heart disease.
Some patients may indeed benefit from the advice and expertise of an obesity specialist. Others would do well to follow the age-old advice of eating better and exercising more.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
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A person becomes obese over the years because of excessive eating. But if one will have the courage to shed those fats then it will also take some years. Persistence is necessary to gain back the healthy body to avoid unwanted complications.
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