...Impact of Obesity on Health Care Cost Crystal Johnson Jennifer Sedillo American University Introduction Obesity has been associated with increased manifestation of tenacious chronic diseases, such as diabetes and heart failure, and a shorter life probability. A frequent opening argument in such discussions is the allegation that people who are obese presume greater health costs than the rest of society. What some may not know is that once a patient has Medicare, taxpayers bore most cost. We will discuss the degree to which private health insurance determine obese and slim, whether health insurance options decrease with obesity, and whether being obese and having other faculties such as smoking and drinking decrease one’s...
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...Childhood Obesity’s Impact on Healthcare The current epidemic of childhood obesity spans the globe affecting the majority of the industrialized world (Trasande & Elbel, 2012). In the United States, this epidemic will have an increased negative impact on the healthcare delivery system if not addressed at every level of the community. The importance of understanding this issue and working towards solutions will make for healthier American children and ensure decreased health problems as our children grow into adults. This type of effort will ensure a reduction in unnecessary health problems and fiscal cost for every citizen that utilizes the U.S. healthcare delivery system. Healthcare managers throughout the nation must educate themselves on this issue and be a vital part of the solution. When is a Child Considered Obese? The most accurate way to determine obesity is through the Body Mass Index (BMI) and actual measuring of the body mass composition (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Utilizing a height for weight and age chart doctors is capable of defining a child’s body mass index for his or her age (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). The recommended BMI for a child’s age will determine if they are at a proper weight, overweight, or obese. Many families are unaware of this index and fail to understand where their child may be in accordance with medical guidelines. When discussing the standards for children age two to twenty, the average BMI...
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...The Effects Of Obesity On Healthcare March 24, 2013 University of Phoenix In a world where obesity is becoming an epidemic, people should be informed about prevention, and on how to boost the quality of their life. Obesity is increasing at alarming rates and affects over two-thirds of the American population. While media and entertainment are obsessed with thinness, we should be more concerned with the larger problem of obesity. There are great risks involved in being obese. Obesity is taking it’s toll on many people. It is about time somebody stepped up and proved to these suffering humans that there is help available, and there are people who care and are willing to help with this problem. Obesity currently affects over two – thirds of the population. (www.acsh.org ) Americans are paying less attention to what they are eating, and paying more attention to the costs of foods. Obesity rates have been steadily increasing over the past twenty five years. This is partly due to the rising costs of eating healthy. ( www.acsh.org) “Families get fatter as they buy cheaper and less healthy foods in order to try to fill up”. (Emily Openchowski, May 21, 2012) Obesity has been known to shorten life spans by six to seven years depending upon it's severity. ( www.acsh.org/publications/obesity-and-its-health-effects)...
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...Obesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health, leading to reduced life expectancy and/or increased health problems. Poverty is the state of one who lacks a certain amount of material possessions or money. At first glance these two epidemics would seem worlds apart, obesity has a connection to over eating and you need money to eat so how could there be a connection between them? The lack of quality, healthy foods are replaced by high calorie, condensed protein, fatty foods that are easy on the wallets of those living in lower income areas. The level of health care, or even the knowledge or education about good health, is extremely low in those same areas. In actuality they are very closely connected and unless we begin offering quality supermarkets with healthy low cost foods, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, and good health care to low income people in lower income areas these two epidemics will forever be tightly joined at the hip. First of all, the quality and choices of good healthy foods in low income areas are not as good or abundant as in other areas. High sugar, refined grains, and added fats are some of the lowest cost sources of dietary energy according to Drewnowski and Darmon (2005). This correlates to very high calorie foods being offered at a low cost. These foods also have a very low satiating power and generally lead to people eating more to be full and satisfied. ...
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...The Future of Healthcare The question asked by healthcare professionals is: Is the United States healthcare system going to be prepared to address such issues as the obesity epidemic and the aging population as more Americans fall under these groups? The aging population and obesity epidemic go far beyond American soil but this report will focus on the healthcare concerns arising in the United States. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (2011) has stated that the population of those greater than 65 years of age is estimated to grow from 12.4% in 2000 to 19.2% in 2030. In age that means in 2030 the population of those over 65-year- old will be at 75 million, up from 35 million in 2000. Furthermore, those individuals 80 years of age and older will rise from 9.3 million to 20 million in that same time frame. In 2025 the United States, minus Alaska and Florida, will see an estimate of 15% of their population who are 65 years old and older. Three combined factors make up the aging phenomenon; Age Dynamics: The fertility rate elevated between 1946 and 1964 (baby boom era); Fertility Rate Decline: The amount of older people has increased as the number of young people reproducing has decreased; and Increase in Longevity: Medical technology and healthcare improvements have helped to increase life expectancy by 20 years (Transgenerational, n.d). The CDC (2011) has stated the following: “The growing number of older adults increases demands on the public health system and on...
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...Hiring obese employees does increase organizational costs. Carefully investigate these costs and write a report that details how much obesity increases costs. Obesity is a common problem that has occurred in today’s society. It can even occur in adults and children. It is a very serious health issue where people are past classified as overweight. It has to do with excessive body fat that a person has gained to where it is now a health issue. It can lead to reduced life if not sought professional medical help. Some people with obesity have surgery that removes the excess weight so that the individual can have a normal life without carrying around so much weight. Obesity can lead to many other health complications such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, cholesterol and gallstones just to name a few. Obesity affects all backgrounds, ethnicities, and gender. The BMI index is the most effective method to check to see if an individual is obese or not. Signs can be simple overeating, which allows a person to intake extra fat that the body really does not eat. By eating foods high in fat will increase one’s weight. Also, genetics can be a cause of this. If a family is overweight, and they have children than according to research excessive weight gain will most likely occur. Families have to be very precautious so that an issue such as obesity does not occur. A diet high in carbohydrates in also unhealthy and can be a serious problem. For example, a lot of simple...
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...Islander(0.03%), other races(0.67%), two or more races(0.74%) and Hispanic(1.81%). ("Rutherford County," 2014, p. 1) The population age group under 18(23.8%), age 18-20(8%), age 25-44(27.9%), age 45-64(24.3%), and age 65 and older (16%). The population of females in 2010 is 35,029 and males 32,781. ("Rutherford County," 2014, p. 1) Rutherford County has 564 square miles of land and 1.7 square miles of water. ("US Census Bureau," 2014, p. 1) The birth rate per 1000 of the population for Rutherford County from 2000-2006 was 12.5%. The death rate per 1000 of the population for Rutherford County from 2000-2006 was 12.2 %.("Rutherford County, North Carolina (NC)," 2013, p. 1) In Rutherford county adult obesity is increasing, physical inactivity decreasing and the uninsured is rising. The obesity rate in 2010 was 28% compared to 2014 30%, Physical inactivity rate in 2012 31% and in 2014 29% and the uninsured in 2011 16% and 2014 19%. ("Rutherford (RU)," 2014, p. 1) The resource for active exercise is increasing in the community. Rutherford County region is low risk for severe weather and toxic exposures. The air and water quality is good. ("Rutherford (RU)," 2014, p. 1) The crime rate in Rutherford County has been increasing with the majority...
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...significant amount of the total population. Among the many health problems Americans deal with, obesity is one of the most prominent. Therefore, there needs to be an increase in efforts to prevent this growing problem of obesity. Some of the main areas where improvement is needed include low-income families, health care plans, portion sizes, and overall eating habits of Americans. Food stamps are very commonly used in the United States. In fact, one out of every eight people in America use food stamps. This wide-spread use of food stamps is a main factor in the increase in obesity in the US. When families using food stamps go to the grocery store, they buy food that they can store for later because one shopping trip needs to last them the whole month. The families cannot buy fresh food such as fruits and vegetables because of this. They end up buying junk food and other unhealthy options. Also, if the family’s food supply gets low, parents end up starving themselves to provide a sufficient amount of food for their children. They then end up going shopping for groceries on an empty stomach. This prevents them from thinking rationally, and the parents end up buying food that will not be beneficial to the family (Vanderkam). There are many...
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...this simulation a virtual organization Castor Collins Health Plans presented three HMO options to two organizations. I will review one of the company’s demographics, discuss the HMO choices, explain the differences in the choices presented, and why I chose the plan I chose. The Health Maintenance Organization Act of 1973 required employers with 25 or more employees to offer federally certified HMO options if the employer offers traditional healthcare options, this is way today you are given more than one option for health care. Company: Constructit Constructit consist of a 1000 employees (550 men and 450 women) ranging from ages 26 through 42 and 60 percent of them are married. Constructit has to consider in the number of employees that would covers their spouses or children for insurance coverage. Thirty-two of the workers are physical active and 25 percent are moderately physically active. There are 170 men and 210 women approximately 38 percent with no health issues. Ten percent of men and 8 percent of the women are heavy smokers. Obesity rate is also a problem with 39 percent being obese causing a heavy absenteeism for reason of high blood pressure, diabetes, heart issues, and hyperlipidemia. Knowing the demographics of Constructit, Castor is now charged with coming up with a plan that is profitable for Castor, but meets Constructit needs. There were two plans that were offered Castor Enhanced and Castor Standard. Insurance plan detailed Castor Standard and Enhanced...
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...One of the five market failures in health care are externalities. This is described as the benefit of cost arising from an emerging consumption of decision (The Market: Economics and Health Care, 2014). An externality is defined as any influence within the health care system, it can have a negative or positive effect on individuals. It is determined that markets for healthcare aren’t perfect. An externality affects other people outside of the particular groups involved in a change. A negative externality in healthcare is unsafe because it leads to the requirement for resources. The cost of healthcare services is accepted by other consumers. For example, obesity resulted in the increase of healthcare expenditures, the expenses were accepted...
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...percent of the workers range from high activity to moderate activity level while the remaining forty-three percent are in predominately sedentary positions. One factor to consider when determining which type of insurance to offer the group is the amount of health risk factors that affect the entire group of people. Thirty-eight percent of the workers have been determined to have no major risk factors at all. However; almost eighteen percent of the workers are smokers and 13.50 percent of them suffer from some type of respiratory disease or illness. One of the biggest risk factors affecting this group of people is obesity. Obesity affects thirty-nine percent of these workers which increases the risk for obesity related diseases and illnesses. These can include heart disease, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes. This will increase the utilization of many healthcare services including prescription medications, diagnostic imaging and services, and outpatient office visits (University of Phoenix, 2010). Castor Collins offers several different insurance plans that could be used to meet the needs of Constructit. The first plan is the Castor standard plan. This plan does not cover preexisting medical conditions. This plan could work for Constructit because they have a low incidence of preexisting medical conditions and diseases....
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...Rebecca C. Segal Grand Canyon University: HCA 240 07/22/2012 Monica Stults This paper is about the world of obesity and how it affects the individual, the community, the population and the healthcare industry. Most Unites States residents expect to live long healthy lives. The economic impact of obesity and its associated health issues can a will have a tremendous impact on the Unites States Healthcare System. The impact will affect both profit and non-profits organizations with its rising health insurance cost, transportation cost, and its increased human capital cost. Obesity is an epidemic that pays no attention to the economic status of the individual and is no longer just a disease diagnosed just in adults. Obesity has spread from one side of the United States to the other touching adults and children alike. Today’s children are living with an epidemic that will surely shorten their lives. Obesity in children can affect virtually every organ system in the child’s body causing many medical conditions from high blood pressure to diabetes. Obesity varies across the United States touching each and every culture. Recent increases in obesity likely result from the interaction of biological, social, and cultural factors within an environment char¬acterized by limited opportunities for physical activity and an abundance of high-calorie foods. In today’s society more than 12.4 percent of all children residing...
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...(checkup, hospital stay or emergency services) 4 times per year, with some people (in their 20’s and 30’s) go less often and some people (infants and elderly) go much more frequently (Graham, 2008). Because of this tremendous need of health care for every American the National health care spending amount is quite high and continues to grow. Current Level of National Healthcare Spending In 2011 the National healthcare spending was about 2.7 trillion dollars, or broken down about $8,650 per person (McCanne M.D., 2011). These statistics take into account hospital stays, specialty visits, infant well child checkups, etc. Even more astonishing is that this report projected that if the United States continues to spend money on health care this way that by 2020 the National health care spending will almost double being roughly 4.6 trillion, which breaks down to be $13,700 per person (McCanne M.D., 2011)! Current Level of Spending Too Much or Too Little The United States spends more on health care than any other country, and I feel that is way too much. To spend on average $8,650 per person per year on health care costs is an absurd amount of money, and this number is able to go down it will just take a lot of determination by the citizens. It is important that...
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...Obesity Demographic Paper Obesity Demographic Paper Obesity is becoming a major worldwide epidemic that is a chronic disease which affects everyone young and old, male and female alike. The exact cause is still unknown and scientists are still trying to understand what triggers it. One cause is that in today’s fast paced world, people do not have time to sit down to home cooked meals, or exercise and really take good care of themselves. Fast food restaurants are replacing the home cooked meals and providing bigger portions on their menus and people not finding time to exercise. Instead, they choose to sit down and watch movies at home or surf the net as a source of entertainment due to economic reasons. Children are playing video games instead of playing sports or riding bikes (Obesity in America: What’s driving the epidemic?, 2012. 02). This is becoming a harmful trend which is contributing to the rise of chronic diseases. Obesity does not discriminate and studies over the years have found that there is a significant difference in obesity by ethnicity and race and it differs by sex and age. Obesity is a major contributor of heart disease, cancer, liver and gallbladder diseases, sleep apnea and respiratory issues, depression, infertility, erectile dysfunction and mental health conditions (Jacobson, 2000). In the past 20 years, obesity has risen in the United States and continues to rise with more than 35.7 % of the adults and 17% of children between the ages of 2-19...
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...Obesity in the Workplace Dorothy Fitzsimmons Webster University Problem Over one-third of American adults are obese. This paper will research discrimination against obese people in the workplace and how companies are accommodating the obese employee and promoting healthy lifestyles. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), two thirds of Americans, age 20 and older, have enough extra pounds to face health risks (2005). Many Americans face bias and discrimination at their place of employment. Some have been told by their boss, "You're too fat" and been fired, even with good performance evaluations. Many overweight and obese individuals fear they may lose their jobs or make less than their coworkers. Some cannot get jobs, due to inequitable hiring practices. Employers can be prejudiced. They offer overweight employees lower salaries. Question If more than one-third of American adults are obese, this group of Americans Body Mass Index (BMI) above 30, per Center for Disease Control (CDC), how do we prevent discrimination against them in the work place? How do we help this group of Americans obtain gainful and fulfilling employment, as well as empower them to improve their health status? Our First Lady Michelle Obama has made obesity our countries’ number one enemy. The First Lady created “Let’s Move” as her platform for combating obesity in our country. Answer The workplace is evolving in understanding...
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