Wisconsin Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity State Plan: Health Care

The healthcare system (providers, health plans, and insurers) plays a critical role in addressing overweight and obesity through early identification and response, leadership and collaboration within the community. The obesity care model shows the need to focus on both the medical system but also the environments where patients live, work, learn and play. The obesity care model is shown below:

Healthcare Strategies, P-00507-7heal (PDF) - View the objectives and full list of strategies for implementation in the worksite setting.

Key strategies overview

1. Implement evidence-based guidelines for quality maternity care practices that are fully supporting of breastfeeding initiation, duration and exclusivity
2. Routinely screen and counsel patients on BMI status following evidence-based practice guidelines
3. Develop and implement a systems approach to identify and follow-up with at-risk, overweight and obese patients, including nutrition and physical activity counseling
4. Participate in healthcare-community partnerships to facilitate the active referral of patients to community resources that increase access to opportunities for physical activity and high quality nutritious foods and beverages

Data

Key points

• Obesity related healthcare costs have risen at an extremely high rate, doubling in the past 10 years and projected to double again in the next decade.¹
• Focusing on the prevention side, rather than treatment, will decrease obesity rates and the related healthcare costs.

¹CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) 2009 data