A Billion Dollar Problem

I agree with a South Carolina politician who spoke about that state's obesity problem and the pilot program legislated to deal with it. First though, let me give my little personal update.

The day did not start out to be as hectic and tiring as it ended. I had expected that I'd blog this afternoon with leisure, and now it is much later and I feel spent. I went to my first meeting on campus for the Graduate Program Committee. My role there is as an assistant to the department director. When I rode up to the bike racks outside the Health and Human Performance building I came to a stop, tripped and fell over sideways tangled in my bike! Strong work (really really it should be a gut buster - I am sure it looked VERY funny). After the meeting, I met with the director and was given several pieces of work to do. Then I met with the other professor with whom I am to work who is also my program advisor. He is going to have me work with him for the Epidemiology class. I will have papers to grade!He wants me to review the syllabus for the class and familiarize myself with the text book. HAHAHA, what about my OWN classes - oh wait, it is too soon for me to complain. Also I learned today that I need to get all of my information changed to NC yesterday, meaning tomorrow I will be at the DMV.

So, the legislature in SC where 30 percent of adults are obese and another 33 percent are overweight, agreed to fund a program to offer state employees, through their insurance, one of two types of gastric bypass surgery. The state plan will allow 100 persons who meet the criteria to have the procedure. I hate weight loss surgery, WLS, but I do like that this is a pilot program that will be evaluated after 18 months and if the surgery results in an untoward number of serious or adverse health consequences OR the people don't have improved weights and health, the program will not be continued. The politician I referenced does not agree with the WLS incentive and instead thinks that people over a certain weight should pay higher health insurance premiums. That did not get much support in their congress so next year he will propose that normal weight people pay less. Good Job!

I will provide you with this link to a support page regarding WLS that my friend a WLS recipient Paula, alerted me too. I like that it has educational areas and explains the procedures and helps the obese person to evaluate their own appropriateness for the operation.