Making the Case for an Obesity Care Management Program

Through the past five decades, selfreported measures of height and weight indicate that obesity, defined as body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2, is rising in every state in the United States. This is true for all ages, genders and racial groups. 1 The growth of the number of working age adults with the greatest amount of obesity, morbid obesity, exceeds that of the obese population in general. 2 Morbid obesity refers to patients with BMIs greater than or equal to 40 or who are 50 kg/m2- 100 percent—or 100 pounds above—their ideal body weight. 3 Although some 4