As House Ways & Means Committee Convenes Hearing on Obesity, Prominent Coalition of Women Leaders Descend on Capitol Hill to Make the Case for Modernizing Obesity Care & Expanding Coverage for Millions of Americans

WASHINGTON, September 18 — HealthyWomen, the nation’s leading independent nonprofit health resource for women, met with a diverse group of some of the nation’s most prominent women leaders on Capitol Hill today to advocate for comprehensive obesity care and improved coverage. The meeting began on the same day the House Ways and Means Committee called a hearing on investment in the prevention of chronic diseases, among which obesity is a determining factor.

“HealthyWomen has been working for years to educate women, reduce stigma, and advocate for better treatment options and health coverage for obesity,” said Beth Battaglino, RN-C, executive director of HealthyWomen. “I am thrilled to join forces with other leading organizations that recognize that obesity is a chronic disease and that its causes go beyond lifestyle choices. It is important to remember that, like most chronic diseases, obesity requires a full continuum of care for effective treatment.”

United in their mission to advocate for comprehensive obesity care and improved coverage, the coalition of women leaders includes representatives from the physician and patient community, as well as policy and advocacy experts. Among those advocating for expanded obesity coverage is Nancy Glick, director of food and nutrition policy for the National Consumers League, who shared her insights on why modernizing obesity policy is crucial.

“Obesity is as big a health risk as smoking, as deadly as opioid addiction, and worsens more than 230 chronic diseases, including heart disease and diabetes,” Glick said. “And yet, the majority of Americans with obesity remain stigmatized, discriminated against, and left out of our health care system. But we are not helpless in this fight. By moving past outdated policies and addressing obesity as the chronic, complex disease that it is, policymakers can improve lives and break down the barriers that prevent too many people from getting the quality care they deserve.”

Today’s event featured leaders from the Society for Women’s Health Research, the American Women’s Medical Association, the National Menopause Foundation, the National Council on Aging, the Community Liver Alliance, and the National Consumers League, whose voices carry a message on behalf of dozens of organizations concerned with The impact of obesity on women’s health.

Their goal is to catalyze tangible improvements in healthcare coverage, access to treatments, and overall quality of care for people living with obesity. By raising awareness and driving change, the group seeks to create a world where obesity is addressed with empathy, understanding, and comprehensive support.

Approximately 42% of American adults (more than two in five) are obese, But women are disproportionately affected by the obesity epidemic. —both in terms of its health consequences and the economic costs of the disease. Obesity prevalence rates among American women are shockingly high and are steadily increasing. According to statistics released by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)56.9% of non-Hispanic black women, 43.7% of Hispanic women, 39.8% of non-Hispanic white women, and 17.2% of non-Hispanic Asian women live with obesity.

While obesity in both men and women increases the risk of several health conditions, including cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, stroke, mental illness, bodily pain, and premature death, a 2021 article in the Journal of Midlife Health found that “women are at increased risk of developing obesity-related physical and psychological comorbidities and have a two-fold higher mortality risk than overweight men.”

There have been many advances in the way obesity is viewed and discussed today, but attention to and coverage of this chronic disease still lags deeply behind.

But there is hope. Last July, the House Ways and Means Committee passed an amended version of the Treating and Reducing Obesity Act (TROA/HR 4818) and that is why these dynamic leaders dedicated their time to Congressional engagement this week. Their goal was to ensure that members of the House Energy and Commerce and Senate Finance Committees understood that they had the support of stakeholders and the urgency to continue moving forward with TROA.

This important legislation would provide access to effective, evidence-based interventions for the chronic disease of obesity to many Medicare beneficiaries. It is a critical step on the path toward ensuring equitable access to evidence-based care and support for all.

Let’s join in this movement to advocate for obesity care and coverage to shape a more inclusive and compassionate future for all.

Join the fight to increase access to obesity treatment by visiting the HealthyWomen website!

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About HealthyWomen

HealthyWomen is the nation’s leading independent, nonprofit source of women’s health information. HealthyWomen.org was the first website to comprehensively address women’s health and wellness issues and continues to educate women to make informed health decisions by providing objective, fact-based information. For more than 30 years, women have turned to HealthyWomen for answers to their most important health care questions. For more information, visit www.HealthyWomen.org. Follow HealthyWomen on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.