320.995 Weight Management Guidelines
Physician Education
The Medical Society will work towards educating its physician members and will work with its various county medical and specialty societies to bring weight management before them. The Medical Society will educate physicians via its website, through continuing medical education courses, and through other media outlets the Medical Society may have available to them. Additionally, the Medical Society will enter into a discussion with medical schools regarding the training of medical students with great emphasis on nutrition, weight management and healthy lifestyles.
Community Awareness
The Medical Society will work with state agencies, particularly the Department of Health, in creating awareness for the general public on weight issues. The Medical Society will also contact representatives within the business community and will work with the New York State Community Health Partnership to promote physical activity and lifestyles within communities. The Medical Society will also attempt to enlist the support of the fast food industry to “down size” the portions and to increase the availability of nutrition information for food purchase within a fast food restaurant.
Educational Institutions
The Medical Society recommends that increased physical activity be incorporated into the daily schedule at all schools in accordance with the recommendations of “Healthy People 2010”. (34) Additionally, the Medical Society will seek to preserve “recess” for all schools to help ensure that children receive physical activity. Furthermore, the Medical Society will work towards the goal of advocating proper nutrition within the schools and will support legislative efforts to afford good nutritional choices, especially in vending machines and in the lunchroom or cafeteria.
Legislative Initiatives
While some insurance plans and managed care organizations pay for programs related to weight, many in New York State do not. Therefore, the Medical Society will seek legislation requiring insurance and managed care plans for paying for nutritional visits, bariatric programs, and certain medications. The Medical Society will also seek coverage for surgical management, including bariatric surgery and reconstructive surgery, related to weight loss and management. The Medical Society will also support efforts to require the Medicaid program to pay for medications related to weight loss. Furthermore, weight management problems have both medical and psychological disease origins. Serious mental illnesses can exacerbate the obesity condition and the conditions related to bulimia and anorexia nervosa. Therefore, the Medical Society of the State of New York will support legislative efforts to assure that there is coverage for a full continuum of services to treat these illnesses. Additionally, the Medical Society supports legislation that will eliminate the outpatient and inpatient limits and equalize co-payments and deductibles for mental health coverage.
Position Paper:
Weight Management: Promotion of Healthy Lifestyles
Public Health and Education Report 1 Presented by Sheila Bushkin, MD and the members of the Rural and Preventive Medicine Committee
(HOD 2003; Reaffirmed HOD 04-170; Reaffirmed HOD 2005-165; Reaffirmed HOD 2015; Reaffirmed HOD 2019 in lieu of res 257)
