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.

[Kyle DeLexus]

Originally Posted by GoChiefs

I don't want the government to control the food industry. I'd like Quizno's to stop presenting Americans with the option to eat 2,000 calorie subs.

That won't happen because there are Americans that choose to eat 2000 calorie subs when they know there are other options.

[Hammock Parties]

Originally Posted by Kyle DeLexus

That won't happen because there are Americans that choose to eat 2000 calorie subs when they know there are other options.

Yes, but if there was no 2,000 calorie sub on the menu, they would choose something else that was healthier. They would not go to the grocery store and assemble their own 2,000 calorie sub.

[Donger]

Originally Posted by GoChiefs

That's because it's easier for them to run through the drive thru.

Take away the drive thru and you force them to eat healthier.

You want to FORCE people to eat healthier?

[Just Passin' By]

Originally Posted by GoChiefs

They're definitely to blame. They have a problem. Just like drug addicts have problems. But if the drug dealers weren't out to make a buck...

Absolutely. It's not as if people look to alternative methods of getting highs, or anything. Shit, if people were doing things like abusing legal products, or cans containing legal products to get high or something, your point would be shot to hell. Fortunately, since that's not happening at all, we can blame it all on the drug dealers.

True story. People were never killed before guns were invented, either.

[Hammock Parties]

Originally Posted by Donger

You want to FORCE people to eat healthier?

No, I'm just explaining why people are fat.

Because there are drive thrus dispensing absurdly high calorie foods.

If you took away that option, there would be fewer fat people.

[Just Passin' By]

Originally Posted by GoChiefs

Yes, but if there was no 2,000 calorie sub on the menu, they would choose something else that was healthier. They would not go to the grocery store and assemble their own 2,000 calorie sub.

Or they could just go crazy and order two 1,000 calorie subs.

[Hammock Parties]

Originally Posted by Just Passin' By

True story. People were never killed before guns were invented, either.

It's less efficient to get fat on turkey sandwiches than it is a bacon ultimate cheeseburgers.

It's less efficient to kill people with a spear than it is with a gun.

[Just Passin' By]

Originally Posted by GoChiefs

It's less efficient to get fat on turkey sandwiches than it is a bacon ultimate cheeseburgers.

So now you want government intervention to tell people which particular animals are acceptable to eat?

Originally Posted by GoChiefs

It's less efficient to kill people with a spear than it is with a gun.

This is incorrect.

[Kyle DeLexus]

Originally Posted by GoChiefs

Yes, but if there was no 2,000 calorie sub on the menu, they would choose something else that was healthier. They would not go to the grocery store and assemble their own 2,000 calorie sub.

So your mad at Subway for having a footlong sandwich option instead of only serving 6" even though people know that the footlong has twice as many calories?

[Donger]

Originally Posted by GoChiefs

No, I'm just explaining why people are fat.

Because there are drive thrus dispensing absurdly high calorie foods.

If you took away that option, there would be fewer fat people.

And if there weren't people willing to consume such food, there would be no fast food.

[OnTheWarpath15]

Originally Posted by GoChiefs

Unhealthy food became more plentiful, easier to get, IS MUCH CHEAPER than healthy food and was promoted more.

FYP.

[Hammock Parties]

Originally Posted by Just Passin' By

This is incorrect.

If I stand 50 yards away from you, how many spear chucks do you think I would need to kill you?

I bet I could kill you with a gun a lot quicker.

[Donger]

GoChiefs, can I presume that you used to consume a lot of fast food and do not now?

If so, what was the impetus?

[Hammock Parties]

Originally Posted by Donger

And if there weren't people willing to consume such food, there would be no fast food.

Take 100 obese americans who love bacon ultimate cheeseburgers.

Now take away the bacon ultimate cheeseburger source.

How many do you think would sit at home and construct their own bacon ultimate cheeseburger?

I'm guessing less than 20.

[Donger]

Originally Posted by OnTheWarpath58

FYP.

I don't believe that for a second.