Obesity as a Disease: Current Policies and Implications for the Future.
The recognition of obesity as a chronic disease is increasing. However, there is variable acknowledgment of it as a disease in health policies across the USA. The objective of this review is to describe how obesity meets the definition of a disease, explain its interpretation in current health policies, and explore implications for obesity in future health policy adoption and development. Perspectives are presented from scientific evidence, clinical practice, and health policy areas including Medicare, Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act, federal government agency guidance, and healthcare quality.
George Washington University, The School of Medicine and Health Sciences, 1020 19th Street NW, Suite 450, Washington, DC, 20036, USA. kahan@gwu.edu.|Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, USA. kahan@gwu.edu.
Scott
S
Kahan
University of Maryland School of Nursing, 655 W Lombard St, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA.|Georgetown University School of Nursing and Health Studies, 3700 Reservoir Rd NW, Washington, DC, 20007, USA.
Tracy
T
Zvenyach
D002908:Chronic Disease; D018166:Health Care Reform / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000639:trends; D006291:Health Policy / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D058991:Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; D011787:Quality of Health Care / Q000592:standards* / Q000639:trends; D014481:United States
Access to healthcare; Chronic disease; Comorbid condition; Government; Health policy; Obesity; Treatment; Weight loss