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Healthy Weight Committee
Contact information
Chair: Tom
Peterson, MD, FAAP
616-391-7848
Background
The MIAAP Healthy Weight
committee is dedicated to help all pediatric providers to improve
their assessment, treatment and overall prevention
of childhood overweight and obesity. The committee provides
information to MIAAP members about the problem in Michigan, opportunities
for continuing education, and is a forum for policy advocacy at
the state level. Members of this committee actively participate
in state coalitions to prevent and reduce childhood obesity, including
Healthy Kids, Healthy Michigan. Our goal is to provider
office-based expertise for all pediatric providers to learn from,
including what is unique or specific for Michigan physicians such
as local resources, state specific reimbursement information,
and Michigan legislative opportunities and updates.
The MIAAP supports
the American Academy of Pediatric (AAP) National Policy statement
about obesity:
The American Academy of Pediatrics is dedicated
to the prevention of childhood overweight and obesity. The AAP
has created a website to bring awareness to the serious health problem of childhood overweight
and obesity; empower pediatricians and families to take action
in their homes, offices and communities to prevent childhood
obesity; and to support pediatricians, families and community
advocates in improving the health status of those children who
are already overweight and obese. (www.aap.org/obesity/index.html)
Obesity: A Childhood Health Crisis in Michigan
- For the first time in human history, 2/3 of an adult population and 1/3 of their children are overweight or obese
- An obese child will likely die up to 14 years younger than one of healthy weight, and obese children are twice as likely to die by the age of 55 than children of healthy weight
- The average yearly medical cost of an obese child is up to five times that of one of healthy weight
- At the current rate, a third to one half of the American children born in the 21st century will become diabetics
- Obesity rates in 16 year olds from families with income just above the poverty level have surged 233% since 1970
- In 2010, Michigan had the 11th highest obesity rate in the country, and the highest of any state not in the South
- Obesity has effects on the entire society:
- Academic performance
- Obese children miss more school, are less focused, do worse academically, and have more behavioral problems than children of healthy weight
- Healthcare costs
- Obesity-related medical costs are 10% of all annual medical spending, 50% on Medicare and Medicaid
- Economic productivity
- Businesses are more reluctant to re-locate in areas where the workforce, particularly the future workforce, is unhealthy
Source: Peterson, M.D., Tom. Childhood Obesity: Our New Epidemic. Helen DeVos Children's Hospital. 14 May 2011
Resources for MIAAP Members
Activities/Actions
- Education- Regional training, annual
obesity summit, webinars
- Advocacy- The MIAAP is partnering with the Healthy Kids Healthy
Michigan Coalition on a series of policy issues including
- SB 0282-2007: Physical education
requirement of 30 minutes 2 days per week for grades K-5 (www.michiganlegislature.org)
- SB 05058-2007: Physical education
requirement of 45 minutes per school day and 225 minutes of
health education each week. (www.michiganlegislature.org)
- BMI surveillance proposal for MCIR
- Medicaid Coverage of childhood obesity — see
Medicaid coding letter from Michigan Department of Community
Health (http://www.michigan.gov/documents/mdch/L-09-15-Obesity_Outreach_285374_7.pdf)
- Michigan Quality Improvement Consortium Guideline
on Treatment of Childhood Overweight and Obesity June 2008 (www.mqic.org)
Compete Issue Briefs are available at:
http://www.michigan.gov/documents/mdch/Issues_Package_2_20_09_FINAL_268471_7.pdf
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