Government will require all Americans by 2014 to have a Obesity Rating

[teedubya]

I'm Doooooooomed. LOL.

http://cnsnews.com/news/article/69436

Obesity Rating for Every American Included in Stimulus-Mandated Electronic Health Records

New federal regulations issued this week stipulate that the electronic health records--that all Americans are supposed to have by 2014 under the terms of the stimulus law that President Barack Obama signed last year--must record not only the traditional measures of height and weight, but also the Body Mass Index: a measure of obesity.

The obesity-rating regulation states that every American's electronic health record must: “Calculate body mass index. Automatically calculate and display body mass index (BMI) based on a patient’s height and weight.”

The law also requires that these electronic health records be available--with appropriate security measures--on a national exchange.

The new regulations are one of the first steps towards the government’s goal of universal adoption of electronic health records (EHRs) by 2014, as outlined in the 2009 economic stimulus law. Specifically, the regulations issued on Tuesday by Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Dr. David Blumenthal, the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, define the "meaningful use" of electronic records. Under the stimulus law, health care providers--including doctors and hospitals--must establish "meaningful use" of EHRs by 2014 in order to qualify for federal subsidies. After that, they will be subjected to penalties in the form of diminished Medicare and Medicaid payments for not establishing "meaningful use" of EHRs.

Section 3001 of the stimulus law says: "The National Coordinator shall, in consultation with other appropriate Federal agencies (including the National Institute of Standards and Technology), update the Federal Health IT Strategic Plan (developed as of June 3, 2008) to include specific objectives, milestones, and metrics with respect to the following: (i) The electronic exchange and use of health information and the enterprise integration of such information.‘‘(ii) The utilization of an electronic health record for each person in the United States by 2014."

Under this mandate in the stimulus law, Secretary Sebelius issued a regulation--developed by Dr. Blumenthal--that requires that all EHRs keep track of a person’s Body Mass Index (BMI) score. Body Mass Index is a ratio between a person’s weight and height, and is used to determine whether or not someone is overweight or obese. It is the preferred method of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for measuring obesity.

Michelle Obama has made dealing with the problem of childhood obesity the main theme of her term as First Lady.

U.S. Surgeon General Regina Benjamin. (Photo by Penny Starr/CNSNews.com)
According to the CDC, “BMI provides a reliable indicator of body fatness for most people and is used to screen for weight categories that may lead to health problems.”

A person’s BMI score is used as a tool to screen for obesity or excessive body fat that could lead to other health problems. While it does not actually measure body fat directly, according to CDC, the BMI scores generally correlate with a person’s body fat percentage.

The new regulations also stipulate that the new electronic records be capable of sending public health data to state and federal health agencies such as HHS and CDC. The CDC, which calls American society “obesogenic” – meaning that American society itself promotes obesity – collects BMI scores from state health agencies every year to monitor obesity nationwide.

“Electronically record, retrieve, and transmit syndrome based public health surveillance information to public health agencies,” the regulations read.

With the spread of electronic health records, the CDC apparently will be able to collect such data more efficiently and with greater accuracy because the electronic record keeping systems can send the data automatically, eliminating the need for government – both state and federal – to keep, send, and process physical records.

[MadMax]

People who eat food are gonna need a bailout!

[luv]

Originally Posted by MadMax

People who eat food are gonna need a bailout!

Losing weight is so much easier when being able to buy food is not an option.

[RJ]

[QUOTE=Just Passin' By;6884470]Yes, all the "specialty" stores gouge you on price. Whole Foods, etc... have a great racket going, and the so-called organics are ridiculous. Even the chain supermarkets are charging you $5 bucks for a pound of salad.

$5 bucks for a pound of salad, or less than $5 for a couple of dollar menu items, some fries and a Coke.....

Even something as basic as a cucumber has become relatively expensive.[/QUOTE



Still though, most fresh produce is pretty cheap and goes a long way. Especially this time of year. When it's the best it's also the cheapest.

But for someone on a tight budget macaroni & cheese, hamburger helper and ramen noodles really help stretch the dollar and leave the bellies full. It's not coincidence that poor people are so often overweight. Low income Hispanic and NA folks down here eat a lot of rice, beans and tortillas - no wonder the high incidence of diabetes.

[Silock]

Originally Posted by Just Passin' By

You don't have to be a professional athlete to have those body types. I was just using the Pros to point out that even those who are quite fit can fall under the "obese" category when BMI is being used.

It's a very poor method of analysis.

Those people are few and far between. Again, I'm not arguing that it's perfect. I'm simply saying it's not nearly as wildly off as most people believe.

[Silock]

Originally Posted by OnTheWarpath58

If you have access to alternative shopping options like Farmer's Markets, etc - then I would tend to agree.

If a supermarket is your only realistic option - then I completely disagree.

I read a study once for a sociology class where foods that are considered healthy averaged over $18 per 1000 calories, while foods that are considered unhealthy such as cookies, chips, etc cost just under $1.50 per 1000 calories.

I'm in the same position as Guru. My wife and I have started eating healthier and cutting out chips, soda, cookies, etc. Our grocery bill has gone up over 70%.

That's crazy. Perhaps there are some other ways you can save money. Buy cheaper cuts of meat. I went from buying $8 "tastier" cuts of sirloin to leaner cuts of top sirloin that only cost $6 for 16 oz. of steak. That's a lot of meat. You can get lean cuts of pork loin 16 oz. for $4. That's a lot of meat, again. For fruits and veggies, frozen is just as good as fresh, and cheaper.

[Just Passin' By]

Originally Posted by Silock

Those people are few and far between. Again, I'm not arguing that it's perfect. I'm simply saying it's not nearly as wildly off as most people believe.

5'9" 205lbs makes one obese, per BMI, as does 6'0" 222 lbs and 6'3" 241 lbs.


It's wildly off for a whole lot of people. It really only has value for people of "average" build.

[Bugeater]

Frozen vegetables are NOT just as good as fresh. Not even close.

[007]

Originally Posted by Just Passin' By

5'9" 205lbs makes one obese, per BMI, as does 6'0" 222 lbs and 6'3" 241 lbs.


It's wildly off for a whole lot of people. It really only has value for people of "average" build.

Hell IIRC Micheal Jordan on the 90's was technically obese according to that archaic BMI system.

[Silock]

Originally Posted by Just Passin' By

5'9" 205lbs makes one obese, per BMI, as does 6'0" 222 lbs and 6'3" 241 lbs.


It's wildly off for a whole lot of people. It really only has value for people of "average" build.

Show me someone who's naturally 5'9", 205 and doesn't have fat to lose. That person is in an EXTREME minority, as is a natural 6'3", 241 without fat to lose.

EDIT: Just looking up some NFL guys, and there's hardly anyone that even comes close to those numbers. We have Steve Smith at 5'9", 185. BMI is "overweight." However, we've already established that the BMI isn't good for professional athletes. Show me someone in the gym that's even close to as big as Steve Smith with as low a body fat percentage, and again, we're talking EXTREME minority. As for 6'3", there are plenty of guys that tall in the skill positions, and hardly any of them come in anywhere close to 241. Linemen yes, but then, many linemen ARE carrying around a significant amount of fat (which isn't to say that they aren't in phenomenal shape, because they absolutely are). So on that end of the spectrum, too, it's an extreme minority. Like I said -- BMI is pretty inaccurate for NFL guys, but even then, most of them only come in in the "overweight" category, and not the "obese" category. They are super rare physical specimens that may or may not have obtained their size naturally. Super-rare, not a good fit for BMI. But most people aren't super-rare, as much as they like to think they are. Therefore, the BMI is generally a good INDICATOR, although it is hardly definitive of anything.

Average build is average for a reason. It fits the vast majority of people. Again, BMI isn't perfect and I'm not claiming it is.

[Silock]

Originally Posted by Bugeater

Frozen vegetables are NOT just as good as fresh. Not even close.

Nutritionally, they're exactly the same. Taste, well, that's different. Some of that depends on how you thaw it, but you can make most anything from frozen vegetables.

But if you're trying to eat well on a budget, there's no reason NOT to buy frozen vegetables.

[Silock]

Originally Posted by Guru

Hell IIRC Micheal Jordan on the 90's was technically obese according to that archaic BMI system.

Huh? No, he was on the high end of normal.

[007]

Originally Posted by Silock

Huh? No, he was on the high end of normal.

That isn't what was reported back when I used to read up on it. He was always one of the examples on how BMI is very inaccurate. I probably misstated him being obese. Probable fell in the overweight category now that I think about it.

The BMI calculations need adjustments though.

EDIT

This isn't the same sources I read it from but it is an example of the stuff I did read.

http://www.medicinenet.com/script/ma...ticlekey=79655

"Take for example, basketball player Michael Jordan: ''When he was in his prime, his BMI was 27-29, classifying him as overweight, yet his waist size was less than 30,'' says Michael Roizen, MD. "

[Hammock Parties]

5-9 205 is definitely overweight.

I was 5-11 205 with plenty of muscle and I wanted to lose weight...so I did....

[Silock]

Originally Posted by Guru

That isn't what was reported back when I used to read up on it. He was always one of the examples on how BMI is very inaccurate. I probably misstated him being obese. Probable fell in the overweight category now that I think about it.

The BMI calculations need adjustments though.

EDIT

This isn't the same sources I read it from but it is an example of the stuff I did read.

http://www.medicinenet.com/script/ma...ticlekey=79655

"Take for example, basketball player Michael Jordan: ''When he was in his prime, his BMI was 27-29, classifying him as overweight, yet his waist size was less than 30,'' says Michael Roizen, MD. "

Except, when you plug in his stats, 6'6", 215 lbs, you get 24.84, which is on the extremely high end of normal. BTW, his college weight was 195, which is DEFINITELY in the normal range.

[007]

Originally Posted by Silock

Except, when you plug in his stats, 6'6", 215 lbs, you get 24.84, which is on the extremely high end of normal. BTW, his college weight was 195, which is DEFINITELY in the normal range.

Not trying to argue with you on it. Just stating what was reported at the time.