Tag: Obesity
Is bariatric DME becoming the new normal?
February 24, 2017John Andrews
There is no consensus among manufacturers about whether bariatrics should continue to be its own category or whether it should be incorporated into other HME segments. While some are including bariatric versions of mobility, bath safety, support surfaces and aids to daily living within those product portfolios, others continue to position bariatric models in their own category.
Whether bariatrics becomes more mainstream remains to be seen, though it appears that sales of bariatric versions are...
Eating to the Xtreme
June 4, 2015Theresa Flaherty, Managing Editor
It's that time again. The Center for Science in the Public Interest has announced the latest winners of its Xtreme Eating Awards.
I always love this feature because it fascinates me that people would actually order this stuff off the menu. Or that people sit around and think this stuff up. I mean we are talking about entrees that tip the nutritional scale at 2,000 calories.
I haven't heard of half of these restaurants (hopefully they'll never come to Maine), but I have heard of The Cheesecake Factory,...
Big belly? You're at increased risk of developing COPD, study says
July 8, 2014HME News Staff
YARMOUTH, Maine - Obesity, especially excessive belly fat, is a risk factor for chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD), according to an article in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. A team of researchers in Germany and the United States looked at the relationship of waist and hip circumference, body mass index (BMI) and physical activity levels to new cases of COPD in a large group of men and women in the U.S. They looked at data on 113,279 people between the ages of 50 and 70 who did...
A plus or minus for the plus-sized?
June 19, 2013Theresa Flaherty, Managing Editor
The American Medical Association (AMA) today endorsed recognizing obesity as a disease, rather than a mere condition. The hope is that such a designation would maybe lead to better health insurance covereage, which in theory leads to better care, which is of course a good idea in theory.
There is also plenty of opposition. Critics say BMI isn't one size fits all and not everybody with certain BMI measurements needs aggressive treatment. This also makes sense.
There is also concern that this will...
Study links sleep apnea, obesity
May 13, 2013HME News Staff
MADISON, Wis. - A new study suggests that the near 55% increase in sleep apnea cases over the past two decades may be linked to a higher incidence of obesity. The study, published by researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, examined more than 600 adults between the ages of 30 and 70 who were tested for sleep apnea between 1988 and 1994, with some continuing to take part, along with hundreds of new participants, from 2007 and 2010. Researchers estimate that the number of cases of sleep...
CDC report: Diabetes rates spike across US
November 16, 2012HME News Staff
ATLANTA - From 1995 to 2000, there was at least a 100% increase in the prevalence of diagnosed diabetes cases in 18 states, according to a Morbidity and Mortality report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), published Nov. 16, 2012. Forty-two states saw an increase of at least 50%. Type 2 diabetes, for which obesity is a major risk factor, raised the most risk in southern states, where obesity levels are highest. Oklahoma had the highest increase (226%), while Kentucky was second,...
Obesity report yields dire projections
September 18, 2012HME News Staff
PRINCETON, N.J. - An annual report suggests that by 2030, more than half of Americans could be obese, a scenario that could push an already strapped healthcare system into deeper crisis. The report, “F as in Fat: How Obesity Threatens America's Future," was released Sept. 18 by The Trust for America's Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Rising obesity rates could cause a spike in diseases, including coronary heart disease, stroke, hypertension, Type 2 diabetes and arthritis,...
Bariatrics: Providers must raise awareness
August 29, 2010John Andrews
The obesity epidemic continues to expand the market for bariatric products, and manufacturers don't see that slowing down anytime soon. Through effective promotion and education, awareness is growing and fueling demand for larger, stronger and heavier-duty versions of DME.
Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that in 2008, the prevalence of obesity was 32% for men and 35% for women. The size of this demographic has gotten manufacturers' attention and...
Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, W. Virginia, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Arkansas and S. Carolina
June 30, 2010Theresa Flaherty, Managing Editor
What do all these states have in common (besides being Southern)? They are the current fattest states in the nation, with more than 30% of adults weighing in as obese. Mississippi, a frequent flyer on this list, tops it off at 33.8%. Are y'all trying for 40%?
Maine, where we live, isn't too much better, tied with Arizona at number 29 with a rate of 25.8% (ayuh). Sadly, only one state has less than 1/5 of its citizens classified as obese. Colorado, at 19.1%.
All this is included in the report, “F...
Doc to providers: It's time to think big
June 22, 2010Theresa Flaherty, Managing Editor
America's obesity epidemic was front and center during healthcare reform talks. It's one of the biggest drivers of healthcare costs, but until now, doctors didn't get paid to treat it, says Dr. Kevin Huffman, a bariatric specialist who recently became a consultant to Gendron, Inc. He spoke with HME News recently about how healthcare reform-and HME providers-will help these patients.
HME News: Just how many obese Americans are there?
Dr. Kevin Huffman: Between 1980 and 2000 we saw a doubling of...