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Population Health Management of Obesity

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Obesity

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Abstract

Obesity is a foundational and systemic disease that underlies most chronic illness in the modern world. The cost of American healthcare has been projected to be over $4 trillion by 2017, with 50 % of the costs assigned to “preventable” disease, including heart disease and diabetes [1]. This chapter proposes a whole new paradigm: patients, health care providers and the public must shift from treating obesity as an individual’s choice, to accepting obesity as a chronic disease that is best managed by early recognition, education and treatment. The three principles of the new paradigm are: Recognition, Education, and Engagement. Implementing a systematic population management strategy for early recognition, education and treatment of overweight and obesity throughout the healthcare system will lower costs, positively effect health outcomes, and improve value in healthcare. Understandably, this is no easy task; a global collaborative effort is required. Patients, health care providers, the public at large, and community leaders in government all must first better understand the science of overweight and obesity, and then be willing to participate in a population management strategy to ensure success of the vision. The paradigm is simple, but its effect would be profound: we can significantly curb, even perhaps cure, obesity and its related diseases if we universally understand, recognize and manage overweight and obesity from its inception in an individual.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Banner University Medical Center, University of Arizona School of Medicine – Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ, USA

    Robin P. Blackstone

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  1. Robin P. Blackstone
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Correspondence to Robin P. Blackstone .

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© 2016 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

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Blackstone, R.P. (2016). Population Health Management of Obesity. In: Obesity. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-39409-1_12

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-39409-1_12

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-39407-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-39409-1

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