Chari

Anoosha Chari
Mr. Rogers
Government 5
2 November 2015
The Nutrition Counseling Act of 2015
Obesity has become a national health problem requiring public policy solutions. In
America today, more than 30 percent of adults are considered obese (The State of Obesity:
Obesity Data Trends and Policy Analysis 1), where by definition they have a body mass index
(BMI) of at least 30 (Defining Adult Overweight and Obesity 1). Being obese increases ones
risks for many diseases and health conditions. This in turn places a financial burden on the
health care system, public and private, to treat patients. Tobacco is the only factor that causes
even more deaths than obesity, and through effective policies, tobacco use continues to decline in
the United States. This success story offers hope that the same kind of triumph can be achieved
in combating obesity. There are critics who argue that government should not be in the business
of being a nanny state, telling free citizens what to do. However, when a significant burden is
placed on society to treat patients afflicted by disease caused by obesity, then there is a role for
government to play. This bill, which mandates that all health insurance providers cover nutrition
counseling by registered dieticians, should become law because obesity is a national public
health issue, it places a heavy cost on society, and people will be helped when they learn more
about nutrition under the guidance of a registered dietician.
Obesity is an urgent public health issue because In the U.S., among adults under the age
of 70, obesity is second only to tobacco in the number of deaths it causes each year (Obesity
Consequences 1). A factor having this great an impact requires close scrutiny. For a nation to

Chari

thrive, its citizens must be productive. Even the medical community has recognized the severity
of the situation as the American Medical Association (AMA) officially adopted policies
recognizing obesity as a disease during its 2013 Annual Meeting (AMA Adopts New Policies on
Second Day of Voting at Annual Meeting). They are alerting their doctor members to be attuned
to this problem and to intervene to produce positive outcomes. Obesity is not affecting just
certain regions, but it is prevalent throughout the country. Every state has an adult obesity rate
above 20 percent with three exceeding 35 percent (Arkansas, West Virginia, Mississippi) (The
State of Obesity: Obesity Data Trends and Policy Analysis 1). It is a national problem that will
benefit from federal regulations. The issue of obesity affects the welfare of the country in
multiple ways.
The impact from obesity has large financial consequences for the nation. Obese adults
are at increased risk for high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, osteoarthritis,
sleep apnea, some cancers, and mental illness (The Health Effects of Overweight and Obesity).
To care for these conditions requires hefty outlays. Health care costs for treating obesity-related
problems are estimated to be around $190 billion (Economic Costs). With tax dollars
supporting public programs like Medicare and Medicaid, every citizen has a stake in this
problem. In addition to medical care, other costs of obesity include lost work days and higher
employer insurance premiums. Surprisingly, obesity also poses a national security challenge,
as obesity has become one of the most common disqualifiers for military service; affecting 25
percent of those who apply to serve (Childhood Obesity Legislation-2013 Update of Policy
Options). This poses a serious problem given that recruitment of soldiers is the lifeblood of the
nations voluntary military. Costs, both financial and non-financial, imposed by the obesity
problem are significant and require public policy proposals to mitigate the situation.

Chari

Proper nutrition is an important component of maintaining a healthy weight. Fruit and

vegetable consumption is essential, yet nationally about 38 percent of adults consume fruits less
than one time a day and 23 percent consume vegetables less than one time a day (State Rates of
Fruit and Vegetable Consumption 2). According to guidelines released by the American Heart
Association, American College of Cardiology, and The Obese Society, Patients are more likely
to follow a weight loss routine when guided by a registered dietitian (Treating Obesity as a
Disease). As with any endeavor, receiving proper coaching from a trained professional is a key
component to achieving success.

The American diet has drastically changed with calorie

consumption increasing. Today, each American puts away an average of 195lbs of meat every
year, compared to just 138lbs in the 1950s (Obesity in America). Rising intake of sugary
drinks is also a major contributor to obesity as People do not feel full as if they had eaten the
same calories from solid food and do not compensate by eating less (Sugary Drinks and
Obesity Fact Sheet). Nutrition education is needed and studies conducted by the government on
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients showed that healthier food choices were
made based on well-designed programs (Study Shows Strong Nutrition Education Can Lead to
Healthier Food Choices by (SNAP) Recipients).

Prescribing insurance plans to provide

nutrition counseling by registered dieticians is a sensible strategy in combating obesity. Of

course not everyone agrees.
In a land of free speech, there are always people with opposing viewpoints. Some argue
that being obese does not necessarily lead to health problems, and that dieting does not have a
high success rate. An article written by Lee Stone and Jon Cornwall questions whether the AMA
made a mistake in classifying obesity as a disease. They state that: Strong evidence has
emerged suggesting that an adult may be fat but fit (2). They do not deny that obesity is a risk

Chari

factor, but they question whether it rises to the level of being labeled a disease. Further, in a
book titled Opposing Viewpoints Obesity Amy Winter offers her viewpoint that there is a
failure rate between 85% and 95% for all diets studied; often participants gain back more
weight than was lost (31). She believes that we should move away from focusing on weight.
There are dissenters to the notion that obesity is a public health issue that needs to be addressed
by the government.
America has an obesity problem imposing great costs on all of us and practical laws need
to be passed to address the situation. Mandating that all health insurance providers cover
nutrition counseling by registered dieticians is a common sense solution. Research has shown
that patients lose weight when guided by a professional. This will not solve the problem by itself
because this issue requires a fight on a multiple levels. In addition to proper nutrition, exercise is
also a vital component and Americans need to become more active. Inaction is not justified
because a problem is difficult and large in scope. Years of public education, restrictions, and
taxes have helped curb rates of smoking. Success is also possible in the fight against obesity.
This law is one good building block towards a desired future state of a healthier America.

Chari

Works Cited

"AMA Adopts New Policies on Second Day of Voting at Annual Meeting." AMA Adopts New
Policies to Improve Health of Nation on Second Day of Voting at Annual Meeting.
American Medical Association, n.d. Web. 19 Oct. 2015. <http://www.amaassn.org/ama/pub/news/news/2015/2015-06-09-new-policies-annual-meeting.page>.
"Childhood Obesity Legislation-2013 Update of Policy Options." National Conference of State
Legislators, 1 Mar. 2014. Web. 16 Sept. 2015.
<http://www.ncsl.org/research/health/childhood-obesity-legislation-2013.aspx>.
"Defining Adult Overweight and Obesity." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention, 27 Apr. 2012. Web. 13 Oct. 2015.
<http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/adult/defining.html>.
"Economic Costs." Obesity Prevention Source. Harvard School of Public Health, 20 Oct. 2012.
Web. 15 Sept. 2015. <http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/obesity-prevention-source/obesityconsequences/economic/>.
"The Health Effects of Overweight and Obesity." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 05 June 2015. Web. 23 Sept. 2015.
<http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/effects/index.html>.
"Obesity Consequences." Obesity Prevention Source. Harvard School of Public Healthp, 20 Oct.
2012. Web. 15 Sept. 2015. <http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/obesity-preventionsource/obesity-consequences/>.
"Obesity in America." PublicHealth.org. PublicHealth, n.d. Web. 19 Oct. 2015.
<http://www.publichealth.org/public-awareness/obesity/>.

Chari

"The State of Obesity: Obesity Data Trends and Policy Analysis." The State of Obesity: Obesity
Data Trends and Policy Analysis. State of Obesity, n.d. Web. 19 Oct. 2015.
<http://stateofobesity.org/>.
"State Rates of Fruit and Vegetable Consumption." : The State of Obesity. State of Obesity, n.d.
Web. 19 Oct. 2015. <http://stateofobesity.org/lists/lowest-rates-fruits-vegetables/>.
Stoner, Lee, and Jon Cornwall. "Did the American Medical Association Make the Correct
Decision Classifying Obesity as a Disease?" The Australasian Medical Journal.
Australasian Medical Journal, 30 Nov. 2014. Web. 23 Oct. 2015.
<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4259211/>.
"Study Shows Strong Nutrition Education Can Lead to Healthier Food Choices by Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Recipients." Study Shows Strong Nutrition
Education Can Lead to Healthier Food Choices by Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
Program (SNAP) Recipients. United States Department of Agriculture, n.d. Web. 16 Sept.
2015. <http://www.fns.usda.gov/pressrelease/2013/fns-001313>.
"Sugary Drinks and Obesity Fact Sheet." The Nutrition Source. Harvard School of Public Health,
n.d. Web. 16 Sept. 2015. <http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/sugary-drinksfact-sheet/>.
"Treating Obesity as a Disease." Treating Obesity as a Disease. American Heart Association, n.d.
Web. 19 Oct. 2015.
<http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/WeightManagement/Obesity/Treatin
g-Obesity-as-a-Disease_UCM_459557_Article.jsp>.
Winter, Amy. "Some Simple Common Sense." Opposing Viewpoints Series? Obesity. Obesity ed.
N.p.: Greenhaven, 2010. 27-31. Print. The Opposing Viewpoints.