Newswise — The announcement by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina that it will offer its members coverage for obesity underscores the importance of dietetics professionals in addressing one of the country's most serious public health problems and can serve as a nationwide model for treatment of obesity, according to the food and nutrition experts of the American Dietetic Association.
The package of coverage available to more than a million North Carolina residents includes nutrition counseling and other services provided by registered dietitians along with reimbursement for doctors' visits and two prescription weight-loss drugs.
With nearly 70,000 members, including more than 50,000 registered dietitians, the American Dietetic Association is the nation's leading organization of food and nutrition professionals.
"Obesity is the focus of our nation, " said registered dietitian and ADA President Susan H. Laramee. "It is a complex health and social problem that defies any easy cure. Both prevention and treatment are needed to adequately address obesity and its related life-threatening conditions, like diabetes, heart disease and kidney disease.
"The evidence shows that prevention and treatment of obesity work best when they are provided by a multidisciplinary team of health-care professionals. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina made an exceptionally wise decision for its members in taking the unprecedented step of including the services of registered dietitians in its coverage of obesity as a primary condition."
For more than a decade, ADA members living in North Carolina have been encouraging their state's insurance companies to cover nutrition counseling sessions for people trying to lose and maintain their weight, Laramee said.
"This example set in North Carolina can and should serve as a model for other insurers as well as employers throughout the country. Obesity is a national and increasingly international crisis, and the American Dietetic Association and the entire dietetics profession are committed to being a significant part of the solution."
The Chicago-based American Dietetic Association serves the public by promoting optimal nutrition and well-being. Visit ADA at http://www.eatright.org.
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