Jennifer Lovejoy, PhD, Vice President, Clinical Development & Support:

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced last week that Medicare is adding coverage for preventive services to reduce obesity. This is very exciting news as it hopefully leads the way for broader coverage of weight loss treatment as part of the Affordable Care Act.

For many years, obesity experts and policy makers have been arguing for the importance of providing coverage for evidence-based weight loss treatments. It’s a sad reality that for millions of obese Americans, getting treatment is impossible because any nutritional or behavioral counseling services have to be paid for out of pocket. Over a third of Americans are currently classified as “obese” (meaning their Body Mass Index, a ratio of weight to height, is greater than 30 kg/m2). Weight losses of as little as 5-10% of body weight (20-30 pounds in most cases) can dramatically improve chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and sleep apnea, resulting in lower doctor and pharmacy bills. Weight loss also lowers risk for these conditions, meaning that those who haven’t developed the condition may never do so.

While the cost savings from weight loss treatment are very clear, and undoubtedly a large part of what convinced CMS to start covering treatment, the effects on quality of life, energy and self-esteem when people succeed in losing 5-10% of their weight are also huge benefits. I’ve talked to many people who can’t believe how much more energy they have after just losing 20 pounds. Or how much less knee or back pain they have after weight loss, enabling them to resume activities they once enjoyed.

I’m guessing that another factor that led to this decision is the recent evidence from large clinical trials that intensive lifestyle counseling for weight loss really works. Early studies suggested rather depressing statistics – lots of dropouts and weight regain. However, more recent research where obesity is treated more as a chronic disease, with long-term support and emphasis on skills to maintain weight loss have been much more successful. In several large NIH studies, weight losses of 5-10% have been achieved and maintained by a majority of participants involved in intensive lifestyle counseling, resulting in significant health improvements.

There is no reason for anyone who struggles with excess weight to try to “go it alone” if they need help. The latest decision from CMS is an extremely positive step, one I hope that private insurers and employers will be fast to copy.