Our current healthcare system has failed to provide obesity patients with the support they need to combat their disease. It has been more than 20 years since the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) first recognized obesity as an epidemic in 1999, and the situation has only worsened since then. New data from the CDC shows that 30% of adults in all but nine states are living with obesity. When looking at our Black and Latino communities, these numbers are even more staggering. In 36 states and D.C., obesity rates are more than 35% amongst Black adults, and 27 states reported rates more than 35% with Hispanic adults.
As a registered nurse, I have seen first-hand the impact obesity has on our communities. It is an underlying factor and contributor to debilitating and deadly diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke and certain cancers. Yet, despite the growing obesity epidemic, and scientific evidence that it is a treatable disease, Medicare does not cover safe, FDA-approved anti-obesity medications (AOMs). Until changes are made so patients have access to all the available tools to fight their disease, millions will continue to suffer.
Prior to 2013, obesity was treated as a “lifestyle” choice. We have come a long way since then, but more needs to be done. Late last year, the White House released their platform discussing the various ways in which we can begin to tackle obesity. While it is clear that confronting obesity has become a priority for the administration, their suggested strategies fail to take into account all available medical interventions that have proven to work. In order to truly begin to confront this crisis, we must ensure accessibility to all of today’s modern therapeutic solutions. Holding up access to proven treatments like AOMs puts obesity patients in jeopardy of potentially developing other diseases. Without the necessary treatments, we will be unable to stop the continued rise of the obesity rate, which is on pace to hit 50% by 2025.
Having access to treatments like AOMs would directly help obesity patients and their fight against the disease. AOMs have been available for years with proven clinical studies showing that it helps lower individuals’ risk for developing Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and other chronic conditions. Not only that, but AOMs have also been acclaimed by world class health institutions like the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists and the American Heart Association. Nevertheless, AOMs currently remain unavailable to many obesity patients who need them the most since Medicare and many other insurance plans do not cover them. This leaves obesity patients without access to one of the most effective treatments for their condition, which ultimately harms our public health in the process.
We have let obesity hurt too many communities in America for far too long. Even though we have come a long way since obesity was recognized as a disease, so much more needs to be done. We need our congressional leaders to work with the Biden administration to provide AOMs as a standard benefit package under Part D. This will help millions of Americans who need access to these life-changing medications through Medicare.
Karines Reyes is a Bronx state assemblymember.
This was updated on April 27 at 12:17 p.m.
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