National Obesity Care Week: Why, What, and How to Get the Care You Need

National Obesity Care Week Background

Fighting obesity successfully includes improving obesity treatment as part of regular healthcare. That sounds promising, but it has not yet panned out. To combat this, The Obesity Society (TOS), the Obesity Action Coalition (OAC), Strategies to Overcome and Prevent (STOP) Obesity Alliance, and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) developed National Obesity Care Week.

The event is aimed at raising awareness among patients, providers, and policy makers, and improving the quality of care obese patients receive. The first National Obesity Care Week happened in 2015. This year, the event runs from October 30 to November 5.

Shortfalls in Obesity Care

It would make sense for doctors to help their patients with weight management. But, as you may well know, many doctors do not. Primary care and other doctors may not set aside time during regular appointments to discuss your weight. If they do, they may not talk about strategies for managing it. This can be because there is not enough time, or they do not know much about the topic.

Even if doctors do approach the subject of weight management with you, they may not have all the information they need, or they may not deliver it well. Doctors do not usually get much nutrition education, so how can they be expected to pass it on to you? They may also be guilty of “blaming the patient” and writing you off as a lost cause. After all, they may figure, it’s your fault you’re overweight, and it’s a choice you’ve made. They have no idea how ridiculous this assessment is!

Even when doctors are genuinely interested in helping you, they may not have the resources at their fingertips. They may not know where to find meal planning and exercise materials to help you. They may not know which dietitians are in your health plan. They may not know when it’s time to consider weight loss surgery, or have a network of bariatric surgeons to refer you to.

And finally, there’s the issue of money. Does your insurance cover obesity treatment, appointments with dietitians for meal planning and other support, and any mental health counseling that could address underlying causes of obesity? Does your insurance cover weight loss surgery at all, and is it the type you want to get?

Probably not!

Making Progress, Slowly

Most of us in the weight loss surgery community have known that obesity is a disease for years. In 2013, the American Medical Association (AMA) finally made it official. Their reasoning was that obesity is so strongly linked to the development of other chronic diseases that it needs to be treated medically. Naming obesity as a disease increased awareness.

Then, American Heart Association (AHA), The Obesity Society (TOS), and American College of Cardiology (ACC) published guidelines for treating obesity starting with the primary care doctor. They suggest a role of the doctor in assessing obesity and providing dietary counseling for the obese patient, along with monitoring weight and willingness to comply at each appointment. They also suggest considering bariatric surgery when other methods fail.

But you may still run across many challenges to obesity care!

• Doctors are ignorant or insensitive.
  
• It’s too expensive.
  
• You do not know your options.
  

Make the Most of Each Appointment

Your doctor may not take the lead, but you can. Come to your next appointment with a list of questions and talking points. These can get a conversation started and help you take action.

• Let the doctor know what you are doing to lose weight, such as watching your diet or adding in some exercise.
  
• Show your doctor how your weight has changed over time.
  
• Bring in a few typical days’ worth of food logs and ask for comments.
  
• Explain to your doctor why you believe you are having trouble losing weight, and ask for help addressing those issues.
  
• Ask your doctor for a referral to a nutritionist or dietitian.
  
• If you are eligible and possibly interested in weight loss surgery, ask your doctor for a referral to a bariatric surgeon.
  

Know Your Healthcare Plan

Cost should not be a factor in your healthcare, but it is. Things are getting better, though. The Affordable Care Act requires all private insurance plans to cover screening and intensive behavioral counseling for obesity. However, in practice, counseling can range from telephone consults to in-person comprehensive programs.

Weight loss surgery is covered only some states. It is becoming more commonplace, and your options are generally increasing. While only more established surgeries such as the adjustable gastric band and gastric bypass might have been likely to be covered previously, now some plans include the country’s most popular option, the vertical gastric sleeve (sleeve gastrectomy). You can do best for yourself by becoming familiar with your healthcare plan and exactly what it covers.

So, as National Obesity Week happens, take some time to think about your own obesity care. Is it adequate? What is it lacking? How can you make a difference by being your own advocate and learning all you can about your options? Getting the care you need can be a fight, but it is a necessary and worthwhile one!