Insurers know a thing or two
Let’s start with a few facts. If dieting was the way to lose weight, noone would have a weight problem. Similarly, if physical exercise was the key to slimming, even the most reluctant couch potato would rise and do a little speed walking. But permanent weight loss is a slightly more complicated process. Looking at the results of all the clinical trials for Acomplia, the participants lost an average of 10% of their body weight and some three inches from their waist measurements. All the trials have a control group who get to diet and do physical exercise but only get a placebo. In every trial, it was the combination of Acomplia plus the diet and exercise that produced the significant weight loss and enabled participants to keep their weight down over time.
So where does this leave us? The U.S. is one of the heaviest nations in the world. It consumes bigger portions of fatty food than anywhere else. The result is that even the majority of children are now overweight if not actually obese. Because Acomplia has not been approved by the FDA, this leaves Americans with a problem. They turn to their local healthcare providers. In turn, everyone looks at what medical insurance covers.
There is an interesting new study in this month’s American Journal of Managed Care. The headline is that insurance companies recover the cost of gastric weight loss surgery in between two and four years depending on the nature of the surgery. Bariatric procedures staple or band the stomach to restrict the amount of food it can hold. This operation reduces the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and cancer. More importantly, insurers save on the continuing costs of treatment. Surveying the records of some five million insured people across more than thirty medical insurance companies, the overweight required treatment for high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, etc. The average cost of keyhole surgery was $17,000. Full surgery cost $26,000. Because those having the surgery no longer required the same prescriptions, doctor visits and other care, the insurance companies broke even on the keyhole operation in two years. Thus, not only does the operation make sense to keep people alive, it also makes economic sense.
In the meantime, if you do not favor surgery or you are too young, there is always Acomplia. This drug is clinically proven to reduce your waistline and drop your bodyweight by an average of 10%. You pays your money and makes your choice.