Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease Commends Senate HELP Committee for Holding Hearings on Obesity, a Primary Risk Factor for Chronic Illness
Calls for Health Reform Efforts to Address This Driver of Cost, Disability, and Death
WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 23, 2008) - The Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease (PFCD) praises the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee for making reducing rates of obesity a top health care priority, as signified by its decision to hold two hearings on the topic.
"If we want to enhance Americans' health and reduce costs in our health care system, improving the way our nation prevents and manages chronic illnesses and conditions -- including obesity -- must be a top priority," said Ken Thorpe, Ph.D., Executive Director of PFCD, and Chair of the Department of Health Policy and Management at Emory University's Rollins School of Public Health.
One in four adults living in the U.S. are obese, according to self-reported data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week; clinical estimates are even higher.
Being obese or overweight is a significant risk factor for chronic illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease, and cancer -- and this has serious implications for the well-being of Americans' health, the U.S. health care system, and the U.S. economy. Currently in the U.S., chronic diseases are responsible for seven out of 10 deaths and 75 percent of the more than $2.2 trillion the nation spends on health care. In May, the PFCD released a new resource -- The Almanac of Chronic Disease quantifying the burden chronic illnesses place on the health of Americans.
The PFCD and its member organizations, including the YMCA -- which testified at today's hearing -- is committed to bringing common-sense solutions to policymakers attention to help address this issue. In June, the PFCD released a first-of-its-kind resource for policymakers, health experts, and media, Keeping America Healthy: A Guide To Successful Programs, which highlights public and private programs from across the country -- including community-based efforts -- that have proven successful in improving health and health behaviors and reducing the burden of disease.
"As the issue of reducing our disease burden through better prevention and disease management has grown as a public policy issue, policymakers have asked for ideas on how to meet the challenge. Now, with the Keeping American Healthy guide and this report, policymakers have the tools necessary to begin making the decisions necessary to fight chronic disease," said Thorpe.
About the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease:
PFCD is a national coalition of patients, providers, community organizations, business and labor groups, and health policy experts committed to raising awareness of the number one cause of death, disability, and rising health care costs in the U.S.: chronic disease.
The PFCD's mission is to:
- Challenge policymakers - in particular, the 2008 presidential candidates - to make fighting chronic disease a top priority and articulate how they will address the issue in their health care proposals
- Educate the public about chronic disease and potential solutions for individuals, communities, and the nation
- Mobilize Americans to call for change in how policymakers, governments, employers, health institutions, and other entities approach chronic disease
For more information about the PFCD and its partner organizations, please visit: http://www.fightchronicdisease.org.
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