Telehealth for Obesity Management
- Florida is ranked 35th out of 51 states regarding the current obesity rate with 36% of adults being overweight and 26.2% being obese, 10% higher than the national average (CDC, 2016).
- Obesity is defined as having an unhealthy proportion of fat for body weight with the best indicator being a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or greater.
- Obesity is directly associated with increased morbidity and mortality and has been determined to be a chronic disease resulting in detrimental effects on the economy and healthcare systems of the US (Kyle et al. 2016).
- Yearly BMI measurement is an indicator of quality measures in obesity management
According to the World Health Organization, factors that influence the obesity rate in our country include:
- dietary intake
- poor physical activity
- environmental and societal changes
- lack of supportive policies in sectors such as health, agriculture, transport, urban planning, environment, food processing, distribution, marketing, and education
Implementing telehealth as a potential solution to the obesity epidemic
New and emerging technologies such as mobile health-based apps have the potential to address the obesity epidemic by offering exciting solutions that promote weight control behaviors. Smartphone apps have the capability of promoting behavioral self-care for patients by allowing them to track physical activity and calorie intake. Furthermore, apps can provide patients with valuable information concerning physical activity, weight loss programs, and community support groups (Wadden et al, 2013).
References
Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2016). Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and
Obesity. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpao/state-local-programs/profiles/florida.html
Kyle, T., Dhurandhar, E. & Allison, D. (2016). Regarding obesity as a disease: Evolving policies and
their implications. Endocrinology and metabolic journal of North America, 43, 3, 511-520. Doi:10.1016/j.ecl.10.2016.04.004.
Walden, T., Volger, S., Tsai, A., Sarwer, D., Berkowitz, R., Diewald, L. Carvahal, R., Moran, C. & Vetter, M. (2013). Managing obesity in primary care practice: An overview and perspective from the power-up study. International Journal of Obesity, 37, 1, 3-11. Doi: 10.1038/ijo.2013.90.
World Health Organization. (2018). Obesity and Overweight. Retrieved from
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/obesity-and-overweight
Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2016). Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and
Obesity. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpao/state-local-programs/profiles/florida.html
Kyle, T., Dhurandhar, E. & Allison, D. (2016). Regarding obesity as a disease: Evolving policies and
their implications. Endocrinology and metabolic journal of North America, 43, 3, 511-520. Doi:10.1016/j.ecl.10.2016.04.004.
Walden, T., Volger, S., Tsai, A., Sarwer, D., Berkowitz, R., Diewald, L. Carvahal, R., Moran, C. & Vetter, M. (2013). Managing obesity in primary care practice: An overview and perspective from the power-up study. International Journal of Obesity, 37, 1, 3-11. Doi: 10.1038/ijo.2013.90.
World Health Organization. (2018). Obesity and Overweight. Retrieved from
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/obesity-and-overweight
Comments
Post a Comment