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medpundit |
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Tuesday, December 02, 2003The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force said that standard obesity treatment should go far beyond casual advice to shed a few pounds. Instead, the group recommended that doctors prescribe intensive behavior therapy at least twice a month in either individual or group sessions led by a team of health professionals such as psychologists, registered dietitians and exercise instructors. Treatment should continue for at least three months, the task force advised. There's a very large chasm between what we know and what we do, especially when it comes to lifestyle issues like smoking, alcohol, and eating. We know what's good for us, but our hearts long for the things that are bad for us. I'm not convinced that forcing people to go to counseling twice a month is going to make much of a difference in the long-run in their dietary habits. And frankly, I have reservations about how my patients would receive this. They don't want to go to counseling when they're obviously depressed and need it, are they going to go to learn to restrain appetites and exercise more? By publishing the guidelines, the Task Force is sending a signal to the insurance industry that they should pay for intensive counseling and behavioral modification programs for obesity. And you know what that means - higher premiums down the road for all of us. It would be nice if they would at least consider the cost when they make these recommendations. posted by Sydney on 12/02/2003 07:55:00 AM 0 comments 0 Comments: |
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